One More Try
by Jeremys Angel
Summary: AU. Jethro Gibbs meets Hannah McGee. He becomes intrested. That might not sit well with Tim if he finds out. Not to mention poor Tony who get's caught in the middle.
1. Chapter 1

**So I thought I'd try something different. I've had this beginning on my comp for a while now so I thought I'd throw it out there. Was going to work on a DBL Sequel but for now I wanted to see if this could work. Scene is per chapter so chapters may be very short or long. Have no idea where to go with this story but will head a warning if need be.**

**Will there be something between Jethro and Hannah? If yes then how will that affect Gibbs and McGee? What about Dinozzo who gets caught in the middle? The others are there too.**

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**One More Try**

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Gibbs sat back into the chair. He really didn't like hospitals. No, that's wrong. He really hated them. He'd been in them far too many times to count. He looked over to Tony's still form and even though he knew his young agent was going to be fine it hadn't been easy. Being shot never was. Tony had been sleeping for hours now but was bound to wake up soon. The door opened and Tim McGee entered. Gibbs looked him over once more. Tim had taken quite a nasty fall while trying to get to Tony before he was shot. Thanks to Tim Tony would be ok.

Gibbs tilted his paper cup towards Tim. "How's your arm?"

Tim was really getting tired of that question. "Not bad."

"Good work out there McGee."

Tim smiled at the compliment. It was one thing to hear it from his team mates but another to hear it from his boss.

Soon the door was opened again and a young nurse came in. Gibbs watched as she took a quick step towards Tim. "Tim! You ok?" She took his arm gently and studied it. She was a head shorter then Tim.

He smiled sweetly at her. "I'm fine."

She sighed deeply. "You better be." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as she proceeded over to Tony. "What about Tony?"

"He is going to be fine." Tim threw over his shoulder.

Gibbs continued to watch her with interest. The fact that she had known Tim had surprised him a bit. Not to mention that she seemed to know Tony as well. She seemed very familiar with both of them and especially Tim. She was a beautiful young woman with light blue eyes and brown hair that had been pulled back into a pony tail. He strained his eyes to read her name tag. Hannah McGee. McGee? A relative of Tim's then. That would explain it.

Hannah knew someone was looking at her and that that someone was not Tim. She ignored it and patted Tony's cheek gently. "Tony? Are you in there?"

Tim chuckled. "I'm going to see if Abby or Ziva are back yet." As Tim made his way outside he could hear Hannah still trying to talk to Tony.

As the door closed Hannah still felt like someone was looking at her and this time she turned towards Gibbs. "Leroy Jethro Gibbs I believe?"

Gibbs nodded and moved forward to shake her outstretched hand. "Hannah McGee. What's your relation to Tim?"

She withdrew her hand and placed it back on Tony's arm. "I am his sister."

Ah yes, Gibbs remembered Tim mentioning he had a sister.

Hannah turned her attention back to Tony. "How about opening those pretty eyes of yours? You heard Tim was here and Abby and Ziva are on their way back. You got your boss sitting beside the bed. So how about leaving your dream and returning to the real world for a moment?"

Gibbs was about to tell her that wouldn't work since he had tried it recently himself but he didn't get a chance when Tony started to move.

"Mmm….."

Seems Gibbs was wrong. Perhaps it was the McGee magic.

"Well hello there handsome."

Tony opened his eyes slowly and took in the beautiful sight in front of him. "Ha..nnah?"

She beamed back at him. "Right on the first try. Not bad."

Gibbs stood up and took a step closer to the bed. "Tony?"

Tony turned his head slightly towards the voice. "Boss."

He gave Tony a small smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Been ..better."

Tony closed his eyes again and within seconds seemed to be back to sleep.

Hanna patted his chest lightly. "Next time he will probably be awake longer."

Gibbs sat back into the chair. He watched as she tucked the blanket up and around Tony.

She could feel his eyes on her again. She turned towards her brother's boss and found him looking at her. "Yes?"

"Just wondering why I've never met you." That wasn't entirely true but it would work.

"Until a few months ago I lived in San Francisco." She stood up and checked Tony's IV.

"You seem to know Tony. Do you know the others too?" He took a sip of his coffee.

"I've spent some time with him. Yeah, I know Abby and Ziva. Also meet Ducky, Palmer and Director Shepard." Again she looked over at him. "I meet them when I visited NCIS once."

And where had he been? "Where was I?" He was never away from work much except…

"I believe you were in Mexico."

That would explain it. "Ah."

"Well, I have to get going. See you around Agent Gibbs." With that she opened the door and was soon out of sight.

Gibbs liked this woman. He usually didn't like a person that fast so why was it that he seemed to like Hannah McGee already? Because she was McGee's sister was probably the answer. Whatever the answer might be though, he was already looking forward to seeing her again.

TBC…..


	2. Chapter 2

**To Porcuswine**: **My story is AU so what happened in the Canon does not apply here. Hannah is Tim's only sister in this one. I do appreciate your kindness in correcting me though. **

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Gibbs was relieved that Tony was improving fast and could soon go home. He had barely closed the door to Tony's room when he spotted her. He had not seen her since that very first meeting. Every time he had been at the hospital he had hoped that he would get to see her again. Turned out he always missed her one way or another. Now that he finally sat his eyes upon her again work could wait a little longer.

As she approached him Hannah found that she was a bit taken by the crooked smile her brother's boss was giving her. "Agent Gibbs."

"Nurse McGee." He greeted her. "Tony just fell asleep." He wasn't sure why he had said that. If it was for Tony's benefit so Tony would not be disturbed or for his own so that he could some time with her.

"I'll come back later then." She looked at the closed door feeling a bit saddened. She had hoped that Tony would have helped her think of other things but she didn't want to wake him. Tony always had a way of making her feel better. "Did the others leave?"

"About an hour ago." Gibbs didn't fail to see that something was bothering her. "Is something wrong?"

She looked back at him. He had such nice eyes. Where had that come from? "Am I that obvious?"

"I've been told I am pretty good at picking up on things." He gestured to the chairs not far away. "Come on and tell me about it."

She didn't argue when he guided her to the chairs. She sat down and tried to smile at him. "It's just been a hard day."

He nodded but said nothing as he sat down next to her.

"It's not like this hasn't happened before." She clasped her hands together. "We lost a patient today. She was only three years old."

He understood how that could be difficult. When it came to children things were never easy. In fact it was so much harder then.

"I tried. I did everything I could the moment she was put in my arms but I could only do so much until the doctor came." She looked down at the floor. She wasn't really sure why she was saying this to him. She knew from Tim that if there was one thing that could be said about Jethro Gibbs it was that he could always be counted on.

"I am sure you did." He wasn't sure why she was blaming herself for this. He could hear the doubt in her voice.

"We all did but nothing could be done." She looked back at him and sighed. "It's just so hard when you get blamed for not being able to save her."

Now he understood. "Who blamed you?"

"Her father. As soon as he came in he saw me and put her in my arms. Guess that's why he blames me. I was the first one to try and help her. To him I failed. I can understand that. It's not the first time a relative has yelled out his grief at me."

He didn't like the way she was looking at him and yet she didn't seem to see him. He moved one of his hands and put it on hers. He wasn't sure why he did that. As he did she jerked a bit but soon relaxed again under his touch. He was grateful for that. "He is just grieving. He will come to his senses and realize it is not your fault."

She nodded and moved her hands away from his. "I know but it's hard. It's been a while since I was the target of that kind of anger."

Gibbs hoped she would believe herself that it wasn't her fault. If she was anything like Tim then chances were she would continue to blame herself even though she had no reason to do so. "You did everything you could. It's not your fault or anyone else who tried to help."

"I know, I know." She stood up abruptly. "I have to get back. Thanks for listening."

He stood up next to her. "If you ever need to talk I never lock my front door."

She knew about this but was still a bit surprised that he would extend that invite to her. "I'm not on your team."

He smiled at her. "You're close enough." Deep down he found he was actually hoping she would take him up on it.

"I'll keep that in mind." She briefly wondered why she had told him she had to get back. She had some more time to spare. She felt comfortable around him. Maybe that was it. She was too comfortable around him and yet she hardly knew him. Unless if you count what Tim had told her.

"Good." He really wanted to stay and talk to her some more but he should get back to work.

Knowing fully well what he preferred to be called she decided to just end the conversation. "Goodbye Gibbs."

"Goodbye McGee." He found that a bit weird to say to someone who was definitely not Tim McGee. "Remember…"

Without turning back towards him as she was walking away she continued. "Door never locked, got it."

He smiled as he drank the last of his coffee.


	3. Chapter 3

Tony threw the last of his clothes in his backpack. "I thought I would never get out of here."

Gibbs knew the feeling well. No matter how short time one spent in the hospital it always seemed to feel like it was an eternity.

"So how come you're here? I thought Ziva was taking me home?" Tony took a look around the small room to see if he had forgotten anything.

Gibbs couldn't really admit that he was hoping to see Hannah again. "I didn't have anything to do. Besides wanted to make sure you know you are not allowed back at work for a while."

"I know Boss." He felt fine. Sure he had been shot in his shoulder and it still hurt but he was doing so much better now.

Gibbs felt a bit foolish. He had not felt this way for a woman in a long time and yet he hardly knew this woman. He looked out the window wondering just what was going on with himself. She was beautiful and young. God he felt so old. Not to mention all the baggage that he came with. He wondered just how much she knew about him. Just how much had Tim told her?

Tony briefly wondered what was on his boss' mind. Gibbs seemed not quite there with him. "You with me boss?" No reaction. What the heck was going on? He tried a little louder. "Boss!"

Gibbs' whole body jerked around towards Tony. "Yes?"

He was a bit surprised that Gibbs really looked like a dear caught in head lights. "You seemed miles away. Is something wrong?"

"No." He drank his coffee hoping that would satisfy his younger agent.

Tony didn't bother continue this knowing it wouldn't get him anywhere. He walked over to the bathroom to get the last of his items.

Gibbs shook his head. He really needed to stop thinking so much about Hannah. One of these days he was bound to get caught so to speak. At that moment the very person who occupied his mind walked through the door. As she smiled at him he felt lost all over again.

She had not expected to see him today but it was a nice sight. "Hey Gibbs." She closed the door behind her. Damn, he was handsome.

"McGee." He nodded at her still not used at calling her that.

"Is Tony around?" She took a few steps closer towards the empty bed.

"Bathroom." Was it possible for this woman to get more beautiful each time he saw her?

"Ok. I thought Ziva was taking him home?" She wondered if possible he could be there to see her? No, why would he?

"I had some time and figure I might be of use." It was a half-truth.

She folded her arms feeling like little of a school girl again. Not sure why though. "How have you been?"

"Good. Better now that Tony is going home."

She was well aware of Gibbs' concern not to mention his protective nature for his team. "Yeah, that is good."

Tony halted as he took in the scene before him as he looked at his boss. He knew that look. No way! There was no way! Was there?

Seeing the coffee in Gibbs' hands Hannah's craving for it kicked in again. She couldn't help but to ask. "Where did you get that coffee?"

"First floor. Not the best but it will do."

"Yeah. I'm dying for coffee but the machine out here is broken which is not surprising since I've had the worst luck with coffee all day." She sighed hoping she would find some soon.

He rounded the bed and held out the cup for her to take. "Have some."

Tony's eyes widened. Boss was offering her coffee?

Hannah looked at Gibbs suspiciously. "'Are you sure? I've heard about you and your coffee."

Gibbs let out a small laugh. "Take as much as you want."

Hannah didn't need to be told again. She took the mug and downed some of the liquid. Savoring the sweet taste she made sure it was enough left and handed him the mug back. "Thanks."

"Any time."

Tony needed to find out for sure so he made his move. "Hannah!"

Hannah turned to Tony and beamed. "Must feel good to be going home?"

Gibbs felt guilty for the fact that he was annoyed at Tony for interrupting them. He brushed the feeling aside and drank the last of his coffee.

"Yeah." He packed the last items in the backpack. "I am going to miss you though." He laid an arm around her waist and as he tried not to be obvious he observed Gibbs at the same time. He gave Hannah a quick peck on the cheek.

Hannah laughed and leaned into him. "You won't get rid of me that easy. I'll visit and make sure you are following doctor's orders."

"I'd rather follow the nurse's orders." He moved her around so her back was to Gibbs and embraced her. As she did the same he put his hands on her behind and squeezed. Nice ass!

Gibbs didn't like what was happening in front of him but he had not right to feel that way. They were friends. Still Tony grabbing Hannah's ass had him boiling. How close where they?

Tony concentrated and noticed the glare he was receiving from Gibbs.

Hannah rolled her eyes and moved away from Tony. She brought a hand in front and pinched one of his balls.

"Hey!" Tony jerked away from her. He had not expected that. She had pinched him before but not there!

Gibbs couldn't help but to smirk. Oh yeah, he really liked this girl. "Serves you right."

"Yeah, ok." Tony grimaced at the pain.

"Maybe that will make you think twice before playing grab ass again." Hannah looked at her watch. "Have to go. I've got another patient to say goodbye to." She looked at Tony once more and smiled showing there were no hard feelings.

He felt relieved at the smile that was on her lips and gave her one back. "Come by soon? I promise I won't touch your lovely ass."

Gibbs really felt like slapping Tony's head although Hannah had given him a more proper punishment. Still Gibbs felt a bit jealous over the fact that Tony interacted so easily with Hannah. Not to mention he touched her ass. It was a lovely one Gibbs thought and scolded himself for thinking like that.

Hannah said nothing as she walked over to the door. She turned to look at them before leaving. "Hope to see you again Agent Gibbs."

There was no way she could know how happy he felt at hearing those words.

She gave Tony a quick glance before opening the door and leave.

The door has just been closed when Tony turned to Gibbs. "You are in so much trouble."

Gibbs blinked. "What?"

"Falling for McGee's sister, Boss?" Tony shook his head sadly. "He won't like that."

Had he been that obvious? Why wouldn't Tim like that? Then again he could think of a few reasons. "I haven't fallen for anybody." As soon as it was out he knew it had been the wrong thing to say.

"Then why deny it? McGee is going to have a fit." Tony closed his backpack.

"No he is not because you are not going to tell him because there is nothing to tell." He threw the empty paper mug in the trash can.

"No? You offered her coffee for god's sake and you have met her, what two times?" He slung the backpack over his good shoulder as he headed for the door.

"Three times." Gibbs corrected automatically as he followed.

"And that, you do not count how many times you've meet someone unless you are interested." Tony opened the door.

"Let it go Tony." Gibbs again scolded himself for being careless as he walked through the door.

"Whatever you say, Boss." Tony said as he closed the door behind them.


	4. Chapter 4

He was sure he had heard something. He put down his tools and made his way up the stairs. He walked through the door and stopped to listen for any more sounds. There was nothing. Still he made his way to the living room and there she was. Sitting on the couch and looking straight ahead like she had not heard him. She looked lost again. He moved closer and sat down on the chair next to the couch. This time she turned her head towards him and gave him a grim smile. Her eyes were slightly red. She had been crying. "Hey."

"Hi." She felt foolish being here but somehow it had felt like the right thing to do. "Door unlocked."

He nodded but stayed silent. He was happy to see her but would have preferred it to be in different circumstances. Whatever brought her here it was not good. Then again it did bring her to him. He had not seen her since the hospital and though that had only been four days ago it felt like to long of a time. "What's wrong?"

"He came back." She saw the confused look on his face. "The girl that died. Her father came back." She looked away from him to try and focus on the wall.

Gibbs had not expected that. "He came back? What happened?"

"He yelled at me. Blaming me for her death and said a lot of nasty things." She took a deep breath and turned to Gibbs again. "I've never had a relative come back like that before."

Her voice was low and sounded a bit frightened. He wasn't sure how he could make her feel better. "Did he threaten you?"

"No. Just a lot of hatred was yelled at me." She fiddled with her jacket that was in her lap. "I am not sure why I came here. I usually got to Tim if I have a problem." She smiled bit. "Sometimes even Tony."

This time he was grateful that the thought of Tony brought a smile to her lips. "I'm glad you came." He took her the jacket from her lap and he saw the look she gave him. "It's late. Why don't you stay the night? I'll drive you home in the morning."

She wasn't sure what to say. "I'll be fine. It's sweet of you to offer but you don't have to."

"Maybe not but I want to." He added quickly hoping she would take him up on his offer.

"Ok, sure. Didn't feel like going home anyway."

He walked to the hall and hanged up her jacket. As he started to walk back to the living room he stopped. He turned and walked to the door. For the first time in years he locked it.

She wasn't sure how she felt at being here but she felt safe. Watching him as he made his way back to her she again wasn't sure about this. She knew she was attracted to him and that just might have been one of the reasons she had come here. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"Do me a favor and don't tell Tim. He tends to worry too much about me at times."

He didn't like the idea but her voice combined with her face made it almost impossible to deny her request. Almost. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I think the father got it most out of his system." She wasn't sure she was right but she hoped.

He came up with something then to make it easier to agree to what she had asked of him. "I will not tell Tim if you do something for me."

She wasn't sure what he was going to ask of her but it couldn't be too bad. "What would that be?"

"If the father comes back again you tell me. Ok?" He hoped she was right and that this man would not come back again but something told him it might not be that easy.

This was something she could agree on. "Ok."

He could see by her eyes that she was exhausted. "You look tired. Why don't you get some sleep? I'll just change the sheets and you can take my bed upstairs."

"No, won't hear of it. I can sleep here." She lay down on the couch and took a pillow and put it under her head. It felt good and she realized she might actually sleep this time. "It happened yesterday."

He was about to make his way to get some blankets when he stopped. He knew what she was talking about. "Why didn't you come to me then?"

"I thought I'd be fine without talking to anyone about it. Except for the other nurse that saw it happened but then I couldn't stop thinking about it. I couldn't sleep at all last night. Even lied to Tim when he had asked me why I sounded so sad. Told him it was a movie I had seen." She yawned and hardly realized what she was saying. "Hate lying to Timmy."

He didn't know what to say. He walked closer to her and kneeled next to the couch. "You get some sleep. If you need me I'll be in the basement." He knew he would not get any sleep this night.

She opened one of her eyes and saw him. He was so close. "Boat?"

He smiled at her. Was there anything Tim had not told her about him? "Yeah."

She wanted to say more but her eye lids felt so heavy. "Mmmm…."

He got up and took a look at the woman on his couch. He really shouldn't feel this way about her. Then again why should he not? It was not anyone's business who he felt attracted to. Still he knew this was more complicated than just a simple attraction. McGee's sister or not. He had already fallen for this woman.


	5. Chapter 5

She sat up groggily and checked her watch. She had slept for a couple of hours but it was still early. Maybe this had been a mistake in coming here. Why had she come here? She stood up and stretched a bit as she let out her ponytail. Running a few fingers through her hair she thought of her options. Stay or go? Perhaps she could sneak out before he would wake up. She took a few steps until she heard a voice from behind.

"Leaving so soon?"

She turned to see him leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. "It's early. I thought you might be sleeping."

"I didn't sleep." He pushed himself away from the doorframe and walked towards the kitchen. "Want some coffee?" Until now he had only seen her hair in a ponytail but seeing the beautiful locks fall freely down around her face made her even more beautiful. He realized he probably would feel that way no matter how she looked.

He didn't sleep? She knew it had been a bad idea coming there. "Don't tell me you didn't sleep because of me?" She followed him in to the kitchen.

He just smiled at her. He had only come upstairs to get some coffee but had not expected to come and find her trying to sneak out.

She sat down by the table and wondered just what she was getting herself into as she watched him. He was so darn handsome. He worked with Tim though. Not only worked with him. He was Tim's boss. That could never be a good thing.

He wondered what she was thinking sitting there. Whatever it was it seemed serious. "Thinking about what happened?" At her expression he realized that had not been on her mind.

"No." She didn't know what to say. She couldn't very well say that she liked his company, wanted to see more of him, found him attractive and… So she switched her train of thoughts. "I didn't mean to interrupt your evening yesterday."

"You didn't interrupt anything. My door is always open to you." He reached from some mugs and sat them on the table.

She wasn't sure if he said that because of whom her brother was or for some other reason but it didn't matter. "Would your door be open if I just wanted to visit?" She wasn't sure where that had come from.

That question made him warm all over. "Sure. Are you hungry?"

"No." Hannah wasn't sure what to say next. Should she say anything? Sitting here in his kitchen she should probably strike up some kind of conversation. Before she got anything out of her mouth he sat down opposite her after having poured them both some coffee.

He didn't know what to say to her. He should say something. "So why did you leave San Francisco?"

"It was just time to move on and Tim was here." It was good enough of an answer and not really a lie either she figured.

He nodded. "You two are close."

She smiled broadly then. "Yeah, we've always been there for each other."

Gibbs weren't sure he should ask the next question. He knew McGee's mother had died when they were young but for some reason the young agent seemed strained with his father. He had no right to ask but that didn't stop him. "I know your mother died but what about your father?" As her face changed he immediately regretted that he had.

"He hasn't been in our life in years." She tapped lightly on the mug in her hands and wondered briefly how much of her past Tim had mentioned to his boss. Probably not much but her past was also Tim's past. If Gibbs had asked about their father then Tim had not said much which was good.

He knew well enough to know that this particular conversation was over. What to talk about?

She stood up and walked over to the sink with the mug. "You know, I should go. I need to try and get some more sleep before my shift starts."

Before he got a chance to say anything she had left the kitchen. He sighed and mentally cursed himself for asking about her father. It was obviously a difficult subject. He heard the front door being unlocked and briefly thought about going after her to offer to take her home but his feet wouldn't move. He hoped that he had not ruined any chances of seeing her again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for all the reviews, alerts and faves. Glad you like the story. Now here is a very short chapter.**

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When Tony saw Gibbs and McGee enter the bullpen he could see by their faces their trip had been unsuccessful. Still he asked. "Anything?"

"Nothing. It was a waste of time." Tim answered as he walked over to his own desk.

"That's too bad." Tony clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back in the chair with a smug smile on his face. It was good to be back. He felt a little pain in his shoulder so he unclasped his hands and sat up straight.

"What are you so happy about?"

"Well Ziva, it's so happen that I have a lunch date." Tony looked over towards Gibbs' desk. "With Hannah."

Gibbs slowed down but only for a second before he continued to check his gun.

Oh yeah, Tony had seen Gibbs' reaction. It had been fast but it had been there.

Tim turned his attention to Tony. "I don't think Hannah would call it a date Tony."

"Maybe not but that's what I am calling it."

"Just make sure you behave yourself or she might pinch you." Ziva smiled sweetly at him.

Gibbs couldn't help but to smile remembering the time when Hannah had done so to Tony in the hospital.

"Between her pinches and Gibbs' head smacking I could really get hurt."

"Poor baby." Ziva taunted him.

"You only have yourself to blame Dinozzo." Gibbs voice boomed over them all.

"Yes Boss." Tony walked over to Gibbs desk. He leaned in close and whispered over Gibbs head. "Want to join us?"

Gibbs looked up at Tony. Just what was he playing at? "I've got work to do."

"Uhu." Tony drew back as he started for the elevator. "I'll tell her you guys said hi."

Gibbs sat back in his chair and watched as Tony walked away. He found that he was actually getting jealous of his younger agent. It had been over two weeks since he had seen Hannah and he kept thinking of ways he could see her again. Since she had not showed up at his house again or been in touch her problem must have gone away and for that he was glad. As he typed away on his keyboard he couldn't come up with one single good idea on how to get to see her again. It didn't use to be this way. He never had to think up ideas on how to see a certain woman he was interested in. And he had no idea what to do about it.


	7. Chapter 7

Tony wasn't really worried that Hannah had not eaten much of her food. What did worry him was that she had not been her usual self at all. Something was bothering her. "What's wrong?"

Hannah looked up to meet Tony's gaze. "Oh, nothing is wrong. Just had a really bad day at work and it's not even over." She half smiled at him in an attempt to get away from the subject.

He wasn't so sure he believed her. "Are you sure? You know you can talk to me right?"

She knew that but she didn't feel like talking about it right now. "I know." She laid down her fork and drank some of her diet coke.

He knew he could never get her to talk if she didn't want too but he wished he could.

She could almost hear the wheels turn in his head. "You're really a great person Tony. You can be this goofy guy that jokes but when it comes down to it you are someone I can trust."

He gave her a dazzling smile. "Glad you noticed."

She laughed and winked at him. "How's work been for you? Did Gibbs chew you out for starting to early last week?"

"Not too bad and he's been worse. I've mostly been stuck at the desk." He was really itching to get out too do some field work. "Gibbs is a good guy when he is not in a grumpy mood."

"Yeah, he is sweet." The words came out before she thought of it and as she feared Tony picked up on it.

This was getting interesting. "Oh really? I know you talked to him in the hospital. Is there something you are not telling me?" He knew Gibbs was interested in Hannah but was Hannah interested in Gibbs?

Hannah had to think fast. She decided to skip being over at Gibbs' house and go for the hospital version. "No he was just very nice to me in the hospital. I caught him outside your room one day after a particular hard day. He noticed and he was kind enough to listen to me complain about it."

Now this was really interesting. "So you talk to a guy who you barely know after having a bad day but you won't talk to me about today? Should I be offended?"

If he had not made it clear through his voice that he was being sarcastic then Hannah just might have believed him. "No, hopefully you are not. Are you?" She had to be sure.

He shook his head. "No. You know it will take more to offend me."

Unbeknownst to either of them Gibbs neared their table.

Hannah bit off a small bite of her bread. "True. Got any dates lined up?"

"No. Thought I'd let my shoulder heal a bit more first. Got to make sure I'm in perfect form. You know the ladies expect a certain quality when they go out with Anthony Dinozzo." He couldn't help but to brag a bit.

She knew what this was really about. "Right. I still will not go out with you Tony."

Gibbs halted a bit right next to the wall. Tony had asked her out? Suddenly he felt like he should have told Ziva to get Tony instead of him. He just wanted to see Hannah again. Now it seemed like it had been a stupid, stupid idea.

Tony's smile faded just a bit. Darn, she had caught on. "Was I asking you out?" As she gave him a look he conceded. "Ok, so I was. Still no chance?"

"No. I love you as a friend Tony and that's the only way I love you." She patted his hand.

Gibbs couldn't help but to smile a bit right before he rounded the wall. Maybe this had not been such a bad idea after all. "Dinozzo!"

Tony jumped out of the chair. Where had he come from? "Boss!"

Hannah looked up at the familiar yet unfamiliar voice. She was not used to hearing it sound so rough. "Hey Gibbs."

Gibbs smiled at Hannah. Her voice sounded a bit sad and she looked tired. Still beautiful though. "McGee."

She smiled back at him. She was a bit taken back at just how much she had missed him.

Gibbs turned his attention back to his agent. "Would it kill you to charge your mobile phone once in a while?"

That caught Tony off guard as he quickly brought out his phone. It was dead. "Damn. Sorry boss."

"Let's go. We've got your gear in the car." His eyes landed back on Hannah. "It's nice to see you again."

There was some warmth in his voice. "You too."

"Sorry Hannah." Tony took two steps and gave her a giant kiss right on her lips.

Gibbs breathed hard and controlled himself not to give Tony the mother of all head slaps. He wasn't sure if the kiss was for real or if Tony was testing him. Either way he did not like it one bit.

"Tony." Hannah warned him as he drew back while she pinched his arm.

"Hey." He had always wanted to kiss her and to do it in front of Gibbs was a double bonus. He just hoped he wouldn't get killed in the process. "Come on you can't say you don't like it. You know you did." He glanced sideways at Gibbs. Oh man if looks could kill then Tony really would be dead.

"Come on." Gibbs almost barked as he grabbed Tony by his healthy arm and violently yanked him away. He shouldn't feel this way. Even if Tony was interested in being more then friends with her she clearly did not feel the same way.

"Bye Tony. Bye Gibbs." Gibbs gave her a small salute which she found rather cute.

Tony waved as he was being dragged away. His arm really hurt. Great he had one bad shoulder and now one bad arm. Note to self. Don't kiss Hannah McGee in front of the boss.


	8. Chapter 8

Tony had managed to avoid Gibbs most of the day since they gotten back from the crime scene. He quickly seated himself behind his desk wondering just when his luck was going to run out.

Ziva decided to finally ask the question that had been on her mind as she came to stand in front of his desk. She had not failed to notice that Tony once again seemed off with Gibbs. "What did you do?"

Tony decided to play innocent. "Why does it always have to be me? I can't help it if Gibbs is in one of his moods."

"Dinozzo, with me!" Gibbs strode past the two of them heading for the elevator.

"Nothing you say," Ziva whispered as she headed back to her own desk.

Tony groaned as he got up. He knew he couldn't avoid this forever but a little more time would have been nice. He was going to get killed.

Tim had also been wondering just what Tony had done this time. Nothing had happened on the crime scene and that's when it seemed to have started. Before that he had lunch with Hannah? Had it something to do with her? No, he couldn't imagine that it did. Why would it?

Gibbs let the elevator doors slide shut after Tony got in. Then he pushed the emergency switch and turned to face his younger agent.

Damn, Gibbs was close. "What's on your mind?" He tried to sound nonchalant about it.

It had been bugging Gibbs ever since they had left the restaurant. "What did you do to Hannah earlier?" His voice was low and fierce

Tony shuddered. Why had he kissed Hannah? Because he is stupid that's why. "It's called a kiss Boss." Oh yeah he was stupid alright. Way to add fuel to the fire.

Gibbs slapped the back of Tony's head. "Not that." He really didn't need that image back in his head. "What did you do to her before I got there?"

Now Tony was lost. "What? I didn't do anything to her."

"What did you say to her then?" Gibbs was not going to let this one go.

"Nothing. What are you talking about?" Suddenly it hit Tony. Off course Gibbs would pick up on Hannah's mood. "She was like that when I met her. She said she had had a really hard day at work. Why do you assume I did something?"

Gibbs said nothing but just studied Tony's face. He seemed sincere. "That's it?"

"That's it. I tried to get her to talk about it but she didn't want to." He waited nervously as Gibbs said nothing but just stared at him.

Gibbs stepped back and hit the emergency switch again.

Tony let out a big breath he didn't know he had been holding. He would live to see another day.

Walking through the doors Gibbs stopped right outside the elevator as Tony hurried past him. He wasn't sure why but he had really thought that Tony had done something to Hannah. When Tony denied it Gibbs did believe him

"Well?" Tim asked as Tony returned.

"All is well." Tony seated himself and ignored the curious looks he was getting.

Gibbs was about to rejoin his agents when his cell rang. He didn't bother to look to see who was calling him but just flipped it open and answered. "Gibbs."

There was no answer but he could clearly hear that someone was on the line. "Hello?"

"_Gibbs, hi." _

He smiled as he turned and walked further away from the bullpen to get more privacy. "McGee."

"_I didn't mean to interrupt you."_

He felt bad for having answered in such an angry tone. "You didn't interrupt anything. What can I do for you?"

"_I was wondering if your offer about your door being unlocked still stands."_

He wondered what had happened to make her sound so sad. "Always." When she had problems with the man who blamed her for his daughter's death she had sounded a bit shaken up but this was worse.

"_I thought so but wanted to make sure."_

There was a cold hint in her voice he did not like. "Where are you now?"

"_Actually I'm outside your house."_

"I'm on my way." He said without hesitation.

"_No, it's ok. I can wait."_

He did not want her to wait. _"_I'll be right there."

"_Ok."_

With that he hung up and walked back to the bullpen. "Dinozzo, only call me if there is an emergency." Without looking he knew very well that his three agents were now checking his every move.

"Ok." This was unexpected. "Where are you going?" Tony saw him grabbing his jacket.

Gibbs ignored the question and the stares that followed him as he left.


	9. Chapter 9

As Gibbs got closer to his house he could see Hannah sitting with her back against his front door. She had not seen him and he took a moment to study her. Her head was down and she seemed to be doing something on her cell phone. Her shoulder length hair was flowing slightly in the small breeze and a hand went up to tuck in some of it behind her ear.

She felt a presence and looked up. When she saw him she waved. She then shut the phone, put it in her purse and got up. "You didn't have to come right away."

"Not much to do at work anyway." He walked passed her and unlocked the door. He opened it and waited as she got in to follow her.

When she got in to the living room she seated herself on the couch. "How has your day been?"

Images of Tony kissing her came to mind. "I've had better." He seated himself on a chair.

"I know what you mean." She took of her jacket and laid it beside her.

"Tony told me you had a pretty hard day. That you didn't want to talk about." When she barely nodded he continued. "Did the father come back?"

"No, no. This is… worse." She wasn't sure what to say.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She had called but Gibbs didn't want to force her into saying anything that might seem uncomfortable.

Hannah really felt she had no choice. "We have this patient. You might have heard of him. Craig Davenport."

He knew the name instantly. "I've heard of him. He is a patient where you work?" Wasn't he a killer?

"Yeah he was injured when captured recently."

"Wasn't that the guy who killed three women but never confessed to it?"

"Yeah even with all the evidence he still hasn't confessed to anything."

Gibbs didn't like the direction where this was taking.

"I mean I've helped treat killers before. I've seen and helped victims of terrible crimes and I really don't scare that easily but this…" She trailed off not sure what to say next.

"What happened?" He clasped his hands and leaned forward a bit.

"He's been at the hospital for a few days and everyone kept saying how he has not said a word since arriving. Not to doctors, nurses or anyone. Just watched you do your work and said nothing. So today when I went in there to check on him I thought it would be over fairly quickly." She fidgeted with her purse.

Gibbs waited as he noticed her face change. The same sort of faraway look he had seen in her before.

"He watched me with those creepy eyes and then…"

"Then what?" He urged her on quietly.

She turned her head to look at him and was comforted by his friendly face. "He spoke to me."

"What did he say?" He had to control himself not to get to close to her. She seemed vulnerable and he could understand why.

"Just normal things like what my name was and such. It wasn't until I was going to leave that he grabbed a hold of my hand and he had this tight grip on me. Those eyes just seemed to bore into me and he asked me to stay." Hannah let out a deep breath. "The guard got up and helped me loose. Then as I walked me out he yelled after me that he wanted to see me again."

Gibbs really had to strain himself not to get to close to her. That might do more damage than good right now.

The way he watched her with concern had a calming effect on her. "The thing is that after one of the Detectives came up to me and asked me to help with their investigation."

Gibbs didn't need to be told what they wanted from her and he hoped he was wrong. "They want you to talk to him again don't they?" The he nod he received in return was barely there.

"They think he might want to talk to me again since I am the only one he has said anything to while in the hospital. They think he might confess to me what he has done."

He unclasped his hands and stood up. He paced the floor. "I don't like it." The words came rushing out.

"Me neither. I was dead set against it at first but then I thought what if he does confess? What if it's the only way?"

"They can find other ways." His knew his voice sounded angry now but he couldn't help it. "Some other way that doesn't involve you."

She ran some fingers through her hair. "What if there is no other way? Maybe this is the only way that can bring some closure to the victims' families?"

He stopped in his tracks. "He talked to you for a reason. You were chosen. This wasn't done by accident."

She stood up to face him. "I know but like it or not I cannot just ignore this. I can't."

There was a pleading in her voice he couldn't ignore. He hated this. He hated everything about it. "Fine but we do this my way."

"What? Listen, I came to talk to you and maybe get some advice. You don't have to be involved in this." Still something deep inside of her had known he would not let her do this alone.

"Oh no, I am not going to let you do this on your own. If he wants to talk to you then I am going with you." He was not going to back down on this one. Not a chance.

"Gibbs, I do appreciate it but I don't think that would work." She flopped back down on the couch.

He ignored her. "If you get a call that he wants to talk to you then you call me. Got it?"

He sounded angry again. She knew it wasn't personal. "Do I have any choice?"

"No." He took a seat next to her. He decided to go a different approach that just might guarantee that she would indeed call him when the situation occurred. Hopefully it would never happen. "Please call me."

She was rather surprised by the last words and in such a gentle voice. "Ok."

He wanted to kiss her then but the timing was all wrong. Instead he optioned for something else. "Want some coffee?" A bright smile lightened up her face as in response. It really didn't help him as it made him want to kiss her even more. So he hurried out to the kitchen to try and think of something else.

Hannah wondered if it had been right coming here and confiding in him. She trusted him but why had she come here? She knew why. She wanted to see him and even since he showed up during lunch she realized just how much she had missed him. She liked him. She really did. Oh boy, this would not sit well with Tim. Just what was she going to do?


	10. Chapter 10

Hannah laughed as Gibbs recounted a story about her brother. As her laughter died down she thought about what he had told her. "I know Tim admires you but it's good to know it's the other way around as well."

"He's a good agent." Gibbs confirms.

"Did I tell you the girl's father came to see me again?"

"No, you didn't."

She drank some of her coffee. "He brought me flowers, we had a long conversation and he apologized."

"Did you believe him?" Gibbs really had no reason to ask that but that had never stopped him before.

"Yes. It was a very heartfelt conversation. Anyway, I told Tim about him and of course my brother wished I had told him sooner. I didn't tell him about coming here though. Thought it best not to."

He didn't question her this time. She was probably right. Better to keep things private.

She drank the last of her coffee. "You know I should go." She sighed heavily.

He didn't want her to go. Not yet.

"And yet I don't feel like leaving." She smiled at him hoping she had not overstepped her welcome.

He was glad that she felt the same way. "Then stay."

She had suspected that he would say something like that. Still she wasn't sure if it was such a good thing to do. "I don't know. It's getting late."

"You can always take the couch again. However the offer to take my bed still stands." 'Preferable with me in it' he added in his mind. Ok, not appropriate thought at the moment. Darn, this was not going to get any easier was it?

If she had an answer it got lost as her cell phone rang. She dug around in her purse and brought it out. She looked at the caller id when she for one brief moment thought about actually ignoring the call. She flipped it opened though and answered. "McGee."

He waited as she got up and headed over to the sink to rinse out her mug.

"Yes I don't need to ask what you want now do I?"

He heard the strong defensiveness in her voice.

"Ok. I'm on my way." She shut the phone and turned to face him. "At least that solved the problem of whether I should stay or go." She held her phone in the air.

Gibbs had a pretty good idea of what was going on. "He wants to see you already?"

"Yes." She kept looking at her phone thinking just what had she agreed to? "We might as well get this over with." She put the phone back into her purse. "I take it you are still going with me."

"Yeah." He stood up and left the kitchen.

Hannah followed him and took her jacket on the way. As they got to the front door she halted a bit.

He sensed her stopping as he opened the door and turned towards her. "You ok?"

"I'm a bit nervous." She didn't like to admit that even to herself. "He really had this creepy stare that just unnerved me."

He laid a hand on her shoulder. "I'll make sure you are safe. You are not going anywhere near him without me."

She already felt safer at hearing him say that. "I don't know if they will let you in the room with us."

"Let them try and stop me." He let go of her shoulder and waited as she walked through the front door. He closed the door and proceeded to lock it.

Hannah waited as Gibbs unlocked his car. She could do this. She could do this.

Soon when they were both inside the car he noticed that her hands trembled as she fumbled with the seat belt. He reached out and stilled her hands with his own.

"Damn it. I need to calm down." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath very aware of the feel of his hands that were still on hers.

He waited as she took another deep breath. And then another. Soon she opened her eyes slowly and looked at him. There was a smile on her face that made his heart flutter. "All better?" At her nod he removed his hands.

This time she fastened her seat belt with steady hands. "It's those damn eyes. I can't get them out of my head."

"Maybe after this, hopefully, last meeting you will be able to." He started up the engine.

Hannah didn't say anything. She just hoped that he was right.


	11. Chapter 11

"Ok, I'm here." She announced as she noticed the group of men that had gathered.

The older man that came walking towards them was someone Gibbs had dealt with before.

"Agent Gibbs, this is not a matter for the NCIS."

"Detective Moran and no it is not." Gibbs didn't feel the need to say anything else.

Moran greeted Hannah with a handshake. "So you remember what we said?" At her nod he went on. "We will be right outside watching through the window. Only Detective Davis will be with you in the room."

"Actually I will be with them in there." Gibbs spoke loudly.

The older man was not intimidated. "Like I said this has nothing to do with NCIS so you presence is not required."

Gibbs was about to say something when Hannah spoke.

"Actually it is required, by me." When both men looked at her she continued while locking eyes with the Detective. "You placed me in there so now if you want me to talk to him again then Agent Gibbs will accompany me."

There was a fierce determination in her voice and Gibbs could see that Moran was quickly giving up. That stare she was giving the Detective surely helped as well. She was good. Wait, did she say that they had placed her in there?

"Fine." With that Moran stalked off.

Gibbs turned abruptly and faced Hannah. "He placed you in there?"

"I suspected it and he confirmed it after the last 'meeting'" She was really hoping he would let it go at that. However, she knew it was a lost cause.

He had a feeling that he was not going to like the answer to his next question. "Why did he choose you?"

She did not have any luck with him. "I look like the victims."

This was a whole new ball game now. "Damn it, you should have told me that!"

"Why?"

"This changes everything; do you actually think I will let you in there now?"

"Yes. Yes you will. I can't back away from this now and I won't." She crossed her arms and waited.

Great now he was at the receiving end of that stare. He shouldn't let her do this. He really shouldn't. Still from what he had learned about her she could be very stubborn. He really hated this. His mind tried to come up with several reasons for her not to go in there but to be honest he couldn't bring himself to say anything. He knew she would do this with him or without him. Better be with him then. "Ok, but if I feel things are getting out of hand then we will leave right away when I say so."

"Ok." She looked away from him to see Moran coming back. "Can we get this over with please?"

"Come with me."

They both followed him as he walked up to the door. He opened it and stepped aside.

Hannah took a deep breath and walked inside knowing Gibbs was right behind her. She saw Davenport sitting on the bed with clasped hands and a huge joker like smile on his lips. Next to the wall on his right side was Detective Davis who greeted her with a soft smile.

"Ms. McGee; I am so glad you came back."

"Hello." She noticed that his smile faded as he saw Gibbs.

"Agent Gibbs: How nice to see you again."

Gibbs froze. The black haired man on the bed seemed a bit familiar but he couldn't quite place him.

This was news to Hannah. These two knew each other? "You know Agent's Gibbs?"

"We've met. He doesn't seem to remember does he? It was a while ago that he and someone named Mike I believe investigated the murder of my parent's."

Gibbs remembered now. "And I do believe it was your brother that killed them." Oh yes, that cocky teenager who thought he knew better than anyone else. Who spewed so much hatred towards his parent that at first they had consider him as a suspect.

"Ah, so he does remember. Yes, my brother really didn't have any luck that day did he?"

"Luck?" Hannah couldn't help but to ask.

"Yes, my parents were awful. If my brother had not killed them I probably would have. Too bad he got caught. If he had just waited a bit I could have helped him dispose the evidence and such but my brother was always the impatient one."

Hannah already felt ill as she seated herself on a chair. This was not going to be easy.

Gibbs came to stand right behind her.

"Why are you here Agent Gibbs?"

There was annoyance in that voice. "I'm a friend of Ms. McGee's."

"So you are a protective friend. How nice."

Sarcasm this time. Gibbs didn't care one bit. In fact he rather enjoyed it.

Hannah stopped herself from reacting to much when those creepy eyes came to rest on her.

"My dear, you look lovely."

"Thank You. Now why did you want to see me?"

"I just wanted to talk to you again. Our last time together was all to brief."

"What should we talk about?"

"Anything you wish."

"Ok, did you kill those women?"

"What women?"

"The women named Anna Trovers, Erika Benares and Mona Sandi."

"Do you really wish to talk about such matters?"

"Yes, I do."

There was a pause as Davenport seemed to think over his options. Those creepy eyes would haunt her sleep for a while she was sure of it. However Hannah was determined to do this. Couldn't he just confess so she could go home? From what she had learned though he would probably just play with her so she would come back to see her again. It wouldn't work that way. No, she would do this on her terms and not his.

Gibbs briefly touched Hanna's back with his hand hoping it would help her. He didn't need to see her face to know she was very uncomfortable. Suddenly Davenport spoke again.

"If knowing them is a crime then I am guilty. I didn't know any of them very well though. Just brief relations were made. Anyone could have killed them. They did seem to be rather promiscuous."

"And you know this how?"

"One doesn't have to be a genius to know certain things. You my dear; seems to be a different sort's. Tell me; are you currently in a steady relationship?"

"Yes."

Hannah had not been prepared for that. Did Gibbs actually just answer yes to that question? She figured he must have his reasons. Maybe it was a way to get to this guy.

As Davenport ignored him Gibbs wondered if speaking up had been a bad or a good thing. He had not planned to say anything but the moment the question had been asked he had answered it. He figured it might be better if Davenport thought Hannah was in a relationship. Although murderer's never cared about such things Gibbs hoped that perhaps it might get this particular murderer enough sense to back off a bit. To her credit Hannah didn't seem to contradict him or act surprised. The man on the bed spoke again.

"So perhaps your 'protective friend' is more than a friend?"

"Mr. Davenport, why do you hate women so much?"

"Who said I hated women? Ah, because you think I did these horrible murders. I told you it could be anyone."

"The only common link these women had were you. What about the evidence they have against you?"

"They pretend they have. IF I had done something like that and that is a big IF, then my work would have been much cleaner."

"Look, if you think you can drag this out so I will come back to visit you again and again you are mistaken."

"I am under no illusions I assure you but if you think I will admit to something so horrific then you are the one that is mistaken."

"Ok, then this is goodbye."

Hannah stood up and got ready to walk away when Davenport started to yell.

"You cannot dismiss me like that. No one does that to me."

Gibbs moved in front of Hannah as he grabbed a hold of her arm gently and started to walk away with her. He glanced back to see the Detective restraining Davenport. The door opened and others came rushing in.

Hannah tried to ignore the shouting man as the insults hurled form his mouth. She had been called many things in her life but nothing like the names she heard now.

As they got outside Moran came to stand next to them. "Perhaps we will get lucky next time."

Hannah gave him a glare and started to walk away. She heard the Detective call after her but she ignored him. She also clearly heard Gibbs' voice and he was not happy.

"There won't be a next time."


	12. Chapter 12

**Less free time to write and when I thought I would finally write a bit my plans changed and I had no choice but to agree with it. Again I feel like I am writing some weird kind of English here. Hope I make sense.**

'''''''''''''''''''''

As Gibbs poured some coffee into two mugs he glanced over to see Hannah sitting by the kitchen table. Since leaving the hospital she had mostly stayed silent. One or two words had been thrown his way but that was it. When they had arrived at his house he had expected some sort of objection from her but she said nothing. Gibbs placed one mug in front of her and she slowly wrapped her fingers around it. She seemed to stare into the cup. He seated himself opposite her and drank some of his coffee. He didn't need to ask her how she felt since he had seen it clearly in the car. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. He took it as a sign that she was ready to talk. "You were good in there."

"He didn't confess to anything but I kind of expected that. Although I must admit that I had hoped he would." She gulped down some of the coffee in haste.

Gibbs did not care for the sadness in her voice. "Perhaps he never will. Still you held your own in there and didn't let him get to you."

"Thanks for being there with me." Hannah wanted to ask him why he had answered one of Davenport's questions for her but decided to wait. She didn't want to think about that man right now.

"Glad I could be." He watched as she stretched and could now clearly see just how tired she really was. "Why don't you take my bed and get some sleep?"

Under different circumstances she would have said no but right now that sounded too good of an offer to refuse. "That sounds fabulous but where will you sleep? You shouldn't have to take the couch."

Gibbs smiled at her right before he drank some more coffee. "I'm not tired right now. However, if I feel like sleeping then the couch will do just fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Very."


	13. Chapter 13

Usually working on his boat meant that he could clear his head. Try to push the events of the day out of his mind. He didn't know how long he had been sanding but this time it didn't work. All he could think about was a certain brunette that was hopefully getting some sleep upstairs. He had not been this intrigued by a woman in a long time and the fact that Tim McGee was her brother wasn't helping at all. Maybe he should just stay away from her. Tell her not to come around again. No he couldn't do that. It wouldn't be fair. Besides he didn't want to do that.

She was enjoying watching him work. She really thought he would have spotted her by now. Then again she had been very quiet. She wasn't even sure if he would like her being there. As far as she knew Gibbs hadn't shown the boat to most of the team so why would he show it to her? He clearly knew what he was doing and she was once again impressed by the man who until recently she had only heard of and not seen.

There was something not right. He wasn't sure what but he looked around to see if he had missed something. Suddenly his eyes landed on a figure on the top of the stairs. How had he not noticed her? "Just how long have you been there?"

"Not long."

He put away his tools and waved for her to come down.

Having an invitation to join him she now got up and walked down the stairs. As she did she got a better look at the not so small boat he had been working on. "It's beautiful." She touched it and felt just how smooth the surface really felt.

Clad in one of his big t-shirts and not much more he could clearly see her bare legs. Images kept popping up in his head of those lovely legs wrapped around him. He really should look away but kept his gaze steadily on her. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Not really." She thought about it one more time. This may turn into a disaster or it just might work. She slowly walked over to where he was standing. Once in front of him she had not expected that look he was giving her. "What?"

He shook his head. There was no way he was going to tell her what he was thinking. "It's nothing." She was so close and he suddenly felt a certain body part starting to wake up. No no… not now.

She took a step closer towards him. "Come on now. Tell me."

He could almost ignore that sultry tone in her voice. Almost. "Just wondering what it would be like to kiss you." Damn, why did he have to say that? Wait; was she giving him a smile?

She was glad that she had not misread him. This was going better then she could have imagined and she had not even done anything yet. "Why don't you find out?"

Could this be real? She was asking him to kiss her? Still Gibbs hesitated. "Better not."

Another thing she knew about this man. How stubborn he could be. Ok, time to put plan in action. "Actually I came down here to ask you something."

He was a little disappointed that she had dropped the subject so fast knowing full well he would have caved with some more prodding. "Yeah, what would that be?"

One more step and there was now no more space between them. "I wanted to come and ask you to join me in bed?" As to make it clear she put both her hands on his chest and then laid her head on it too.

That he had not expected. His arms responded on their own as the wrapped themselves around her. It felt good to be so close to her. He wasn't really sure how to respond. Actually he knew how he wanted to respond but found he could not do that to her. He shouldn't be taking advantage of her. Not tonight. "You're tired and it's been a trying evening. We really shouldn't do this." However the lower part of his body could clearly betray him now. _'Please don't notice'_. He kept repeating in his head.

"I want to." She kept her hands on his chest but tilted her head slightly to look up to him. "And don't even think you'd be taking advantage of me because you would not." She had not missed his body reaction and she smirked at him while grinding against him just for a quick moment. "Beside it feels to me like you are interested."

Ah Fuck. He was busted.

She pushed herself away from him and proceeded to walk over to the stairs. Before taking the first step she turned half way to study him. He was fighting it she knew it. He really wanted her as much as she wanted him. "You've got five minutes to decide if you want to join me or not. Note that I am not asking for anything more than just tonight if you wish. No strings attached and tomorrow we can be back to where we once were. You have five minutes, Agent Gibbs."

He watched as she walked back up the stairs. Damn, this was more than difficult now. It was near impossible. He shouldn't do this. How old was she anyway? She seemed so young and vibrant. He felt old but on the other side she clearly showed she was interested. Just for tonight. No strings. He knew he might find that offer really enticing and he did but when it came to her he knew he probably wanted more than just one night. He wasn't sure what but more. Crap, he was losing his battle. Who was he kidding? The battle had been lost long ago. He hurried and ran up the stairs.


	14. Chapter 14

Even before his eyes were open he had felt someone next to him. Rather, someone was in in his arms. It only took him a moment to remember the previous night. He had almost forgotten how wonderful it felt to have someone lying beside him. He carefully moved slightly so he could get a better look at her. He was still looking at her now. He wasn't sure for how long he had done so but he didn't care. She was beautiful even when she was sleeping. He found it amazing that she was even there with him. Thoughts of the night they had shared made him smile. It really had outdone any fantasy that he had had about the two of them together. He felt exhausted but they had kept at it for quite some time. He had taken it slow at first since he wanted her to get a chance to stop it if she had changed her mind. He was grateful that she had wanted this as much as he had. She shifted in his arms and he waited to see if she would wake up. He saw her eyes open and he knew she was trying to figure out where she was. Soon those beautiful blue eyes came to rest on him. She smiled at him and he gave her one in return. The woman was breathtaking.

She was content where she was. It was strange to feel that way again after such a long time. It did feel right though. She snuggled closer to him and he tightened his arms around her. Things had gone even better then she had thought they would. Last night had been wonderful and she knew she wanted more of this. She felt him place a soft kiss on her forehead. "I could get used to this." She felt his chest rise and fall as he chuckled in response.

He knew what she meant because he felt the same way. "I know what you mean." He pondered if it was too early to tell her that he wanted more than just this past night. He wanted so much more. What she had just said gave him some inkling that she wanted the same. At least he hoped so.

She sat up and steadied herself on an arm. "Any regrets?" The way he looked at her gave her an answer even before he replied.

"None. You?" When she shook her head no he realized that he had been holding his breath a bit. He sat up and placed a kiss on one of her shoulders. "I hate to do this but I have to go." He pushed back the covers and was soon on his feet.

She glanced over at the alarm clock. "You are late."

"I know." He answered her from the bathroom.

She rose her voice a little hoping he would hear her over the running water. "Why didn't you wake me?"

As he came out of the bathroom he smiled at her. "I was too busy watching you sleep. It's not often that I get to wake up to such a treat."

She usually didn't fall for those kinds of lines but he made it work. "I'm enjoying a nice treat myself right one."

He smirked as he put on his pants. He had planned to kiss her again but he heard her move and found her out of bed when he turned towards her. She was too busy with her own underwear to notice him looking at her. "Are you working today?" He was already hoping to make more plans with her.

"No, I have the day off." She had barely put the bra on when she felt his arms envelope her from behind. His head was now resting on her shoulder.

"You can always stay here." He did figure, however, she just might get bored around his house.

She leaned in to his embrace. "I could but I have some things to do."

"Want to get together tonight?" He really hoped he wasn't pushing her when she turned around and faced him while putting her hands around his waist.

"I would love to." She kissed him and it was meant to be quick but in no time they were both breathing rather heavily. She felt him start to try and unclasp her bra as her hands found their way to the buttons of his pants. She drew back from him with a heavy breath. "You are late."

He moved his head forward to capture her mouth with his. In between the hot kisses he murmured against her lips. "Don't care."

Together they stumbled and fell back on the bed.


	15. Chapter 15

"Boss, you're here! We were thinking about sending out a search party for you."

Gibbs ignored Tony's joke as he walked over to his own desk.

"Is everything ok boss?"

Gibbs ignored Tim as well.

"Boss?"

Still Tony did not get an answer unless one count's a quick glance in his direction. This was odd. Gibbs was never, ever late. Something must be up. Tony got up and headed towards Gibbs.

Gibbs saw the movement out of the corner of his eye. He spoke before Tony was even close. "Anything you need Dinozzo?"

Tony gave a bright smile as he came to a stop. "Just wondering why you are…" He looked at his watch. "…. Damn, an hour late." He looked back up to see a stone faced Gibbs. "But I'm guessing you don't want to talk about it."

"What makes you think, that if I didn't answer you the first time, that I would answer you a second time?" Gibbs took a sip of his coffee hoping Tony would let the subject go.

McGee watched them both with interest. He was just as curious to know why Gibbs had been late. That never happened unless Gibbs had previously said he would be late. This, late unexpectedly never happened.

Tony picked up a pen and played with it. "Probably not but I thought you know, something might be going on. You might need some help."

Gibbs snatched the pen back from Tony. "Car trouble, traffic jam, alarm clock wouldn't work. Take your pick."

Tony smiled brightly once again. "Perhaps you had a lady friend staying over." Gibbs was now glaring back at him. Not good. Why couldn't he just shut up? "But of course we all know that would never keep you away from work." Tony made a quick turn to hurry back to his desk.

Gibbs really hoped that Tony was now off his back when he heard Tony's low voice whisper to Tim.

"She had to be real special if she could keep him away from here."

So they were not done yet. "Anything you want to ask McGee?" Gibbs knew he was barking to no fault of Tim's. He figured that Tim was probably used to it by now anyway.

Tim shook his head and hoped his voice would be steady when he replied. "No, nothing boss." Yeah, it was good enough.

Gibbs watched as Tim looked over at Tony and mouthed _'Thanks a lot.'_ Yeah they were done now and behind his coffee cup a corner of Gibbs' mouth lifted up a bit.

He continued to watch his two agents as they got back to work. He started to think about what Tony had said. A woman would never keep Gibbs away from work. That was true. A woman usually never did. Then again what Tony had just whispered to Tim just might hold more truth to it than Tony ever suspected. Hannah was special alright. He carefully looked over at Tim who by now was working pretty fast on his computer. He remembered the warning he had received in the hospital. That Tim would not like it. He wondered if Tony was right. Might not be the best situation of having one's boss dates one's sister. Not to mention he was a bit older then Hannah. At least he thought so; he really wasn't sure how old she was. Tim was 35 but he wasn't sure about Hannah. The age didn't seem to bother her so why should it bother him? Besides she did make him feel younger then he really was.

When his phone ran he quickly brought it out. "Gibbs."

"_Wow, even hearing your voice makes me miss you and it wasn't that long ago I saw you."_

He suppressed a chuckle at hearing her voice. "You are not the only one."

"_You can't talk right now can you?"_

He noticed that Ziva was now entering the bullpen and she proceeded to place a file on his desk. She gave him a quick nod before going to her desk. "What's on your mind?" He got up and walked away to get some privacy.

Behind his back Ziva called out to both Tony and Tim. When she had their attention she tilted her head in the direction of Gibbs' disappearing back. "What is going on?"

Tim shrugged and continued to work. "Who knows?"

Tony thought about it for a few seconds. "Not sure." He wanted to find out though.

Gibbs halted and waited for Hannah's reply.

"_The thing is, I completely forgot, that I already had plans tonight."_

Not what he wanted to hear. Was she going on a date? "Ok."

"_Yeah, I'm meeting Abby for dinner."_

That reason made him relax. "Why don't you come over afterwards?"

"_It could be late."_

He didn't care. He just wanted to see her again. "I don't mind."

"_What if, and I know this could be a long shot, you are sleeping?"_

He laughed at that. "Then you just crawl into bed with me."

"_You do know how to make a girl feel special, Agent Gibbs."_

"I do my best."

"_See you later then."_

He turned and came face to face with Tony. "I'm looking forward to it." He spoke in to the phone and then snapped it shut all while looking at Tony.

Tony knew this had been a bad idea but he couldn't help himself. "Ah boss, I... was just going to see if you needed anything… again."

Gibbs said nothing but made no effort to move either. He really hoped that Tony wouldn't figure out what was going on. If he did who knew how soon Tim would know also and Gibbs didn't want to deal with that yet. He wanted more time with Hannah first. "Does it look like I need anything?"

"No, no you seem fine." Tony moved but then Gibbs put a hand on his shoulder. Reluctantly Tony turned back to face him again. "Yes, boss?"

"Just how much did you hear?" Normally Gibbs would not care one bit how much Tony had or might not have heard but in this case he had to know.

Tony didn't even need to think about it. " 'I do my best' and 'Looking forward to it.' "

The words came so fast out of Tony's mouth that Gibbs knew he was telling the truth. "No, you heard nothing."

"Nothing, I heard nothing." When Gibbs removed his hand Tony moved fast and hurried away. However perhaps he had been right. Maybe it was woman that caused Gibbs to be so late today. Could it be…? No. Not her. "Boss would know better than that." He murmured to himself.

Tim heard Tony even before he was back in the bullpen. "Boss would know better then what?"

Tony cursed. Damn, he had not meant to be so loud. "Nothing, I'm the one that should have known better."

Gibbs walked past with briskly steps towards his desk. He had also heard Tony's murmur and Tim's question. Darn Tony for being so nosy.

Tim and Ziva both picked up on slight chill in the air between Tony and Gibbs.

"Are you sure, Tony?" Ziva couldn't help but wonder what Tony had done now however it wasn't really any of her business. It would be resolved soon anyway. It always was.

"Yes."

As Ziva and Tim both returned to their work Gibbs noticed that Tony had not. His senior agent was now staring at him and it was now clear to Gibbs that Tony knew. Tony knew who Gibbs had been talking to. Question was, did he know anything else?


	16. Chapter 16

*BOOM*

He woke up with a start. Someone was in the house. He figured it was probably Hannah. He decided to wait and see if she would join him. He glanced at the alarm clock. 2:00 a.m. No, he decided to move. He threw the covers aside and got up. He left the bedroom and as he got closer to the kitchen he heard a thud. He walked in to find her sitting on the floor laughing.

Her laughter died down when she felt that she wasn't alone anymore. She looked up and there he was. "Giiiiiibbsss hheeeeeyyy."

He smiled at her. "Hey yourself." Suddenly she started giggling and pointed at him. "What?"

"You are neeeekkid!"

He winked at her. "That's the way I sleep."

"I like." She pushed herself off the floor and tried to stand. As she did she almost fell once again but Gibbs grabbed a hold of her and her arms went around his waist while she buried her face in his neck. "Mmm, you.. you smell nice."

He had to try and keep his thoughts clean. There was no way he was going to take advantage of her in this condition. "Come on, let's get you to bed." He started to guide her with an arm around her waist and his other hand holding on to hers.

"Ok." She walked with some difficulty. "Can't you ask the room to stop spinning?" She wobbled and she grabbed her purse as they passed the kitchen table.

He tried to hold on to her but she slipped from his grasp. He moves fast to get a hold of her again. "Let's do it this way." He lifts Hannah up in his arms and she wraps her arms around his neck. He steadies himself and start's to carry her.

"Mmm, perfect." She mumbles in to his neck.

The feel of her breath so close was really making this more difficult for him. He is just glad she isn't aware what she was doing to him right now. Then he feels the small vibration against the side of his throat. She is humming. It feels kind of nice. "How did you get here?"

"Eh, was clo..se… by." She tries to concentrate. "Can.. can you… punish Aaaabbyyy for me?"

He carried her into the bedroom and gently eased her down on the bed. "What, for getting you drunk?"

She tried to get more comfortable in the nice bed she was now on. "Sooofftt."

"Giiiiiibbs!"

His whole body tensed up. What the hell? That was Abby's voice. Darn it. He grabbed a par of boxers and then a shirt to throw on him before leaving the bedroom. As he did he closed the door behind him.

He heard the voices and it sounded like she wasn't alone. McGee was there too? Crap, could this get any worse? He came into the living room to see Tim struggling with an obviously drunk Abby. "McGee!"

Tim looked up. "Sorry Boss. Abby wanted to say hello and I tried to stop her but she was pretty determined."

Hi Giibbsss." Abby waved from sitting on the floor.

"Hi Abby. A little drunk are we?" Did any of them know Hannah was there too?

"Yeah, we….Hannah and me, had… had dinner. Got …drunk. Ca…. called Tim. Hannah… she… not sure." She looked back at Tim. "Went to… to boy.. friend." She started giggling hysterically.

Gibbs tensed up again as he looked at Tim.

Tim took a deep breath and then dragged Abby up with him. Once Abby was up she removed herself from him and staggered over to Gibbs. She threw her arms around him. "Hiiii…."

Gibbs embraced her while watching Tim over Abby's shoulder.

Tim took out his cell phone and started to dial. "Just going to call my sister real quick to make sure she's ok. I tried before but she wouldn't answer."

Double crap! Gibbs could only wait to see if Hannah would answer Tim's call. If she did he hoped she wouldn't reveal too much.

Abby untangled herself from Gibbs and unsteadily walked back to Tim. "She's fiiinneee.."

Tim smiled sweetly at Abby. He would feel so much better if Hannah would just answer the phone.

When Tim's face lit up in a smile Gibbs knew Hannah had answered.

"Hi. I'm with Abby. She's fine. Just wanted to know if you are ok?"

Gibbs really wished he was somewhere else at that moment.

"Ok, good. You need a ride home?"

'_No, she does not_.' Gibbs found himself thinking. Couldn't this evening be over already?

"Ok, bye." Tim shut the phone. "She's fine." He turned his attention back to Abby. "Ok, you've said hello now let's get you home."

Abby smiled brightly and waved at Gibbs again. "Bye Giiiiibbsssss."

He waved at her as he watched Tim guide her away. He waited to make sure they left. What was it Abby said? Hannah went to her boyfriend. Just what had they talked about tonight? He would have to talk to Hannah in the morning. As he heard the front door close he left the living room and walked over to lock the door. Once that was done he quickly walked back to the bed room. He heard some more noises from inside and once he had opened the door he saw Hannah getting undressed. There she was, sitting on the bed trying to get her pants off.

"Here, let me." He walked over and as she lay back on the bed he pulled the pants off her.

She sat up and proceeded with her shirt.

Gibbs sighed but said nothing as he simply grabbed a hold of the shirt and lifted it over her head.

This time she fell back on the bed with her eyes closed.

He waited to see if she was going to start undressing more. When she made no further movement he undressed himself once again and joined her in bed. He dragged her aside to get at the blankets under her and pulled her in close. Once again he felt her breathing on his skin. He wrapped the blankets around them and settled in. It might not be the way he had hoped things would go this night but it was a hell of a lot better than sleeping alone.


	17. Chapter 17

Hannah's head was pounding and her mouth felt dry. She groaned as she lifted her head to turn sideways and came face to face with a smirking Gibbs. Great, she had made a fool of herself in front of him already. Her head dropped back on to the pillow. Images came to mind of her sitting on the kitchen floor and laughing. Being carried by him and taking of her clothes. "Hey."'

"Hi." He reached out and pushed away a few strands of her hair so he could see her eyes. "How do you feel?"

"Been better, been worse." She licked her lips and moved again to lie on her back. "I had way too much last night."

He chuckled. "So I noticed.

She glanced over at him. "It's Abby's fault."

"Yeah, about that…" He sat up and noticed that he had her attention right away. "Abby was here last night." He saw her eyes grow wider. "With Tim." If it was possible her eyes grew even wider now.

Oh shit, had they seen her? She tensed as she thought of what that could mean. "Did they know I was here?"

He shook his head. "No, Tim called you though. Do you remember?"

She thought for a moment. She remembered him calling her and asking if she needed a ride home. "I remember but are you sure that they didn't know I was here?"

"No, Abby simply wanted to come by and say hi. They were here for only a minute or two." He watched her relax her shoulders and then sagged back into the pillow. "Want to tell me about your boyfriend?"

She eyed him suspiciously. "What?"

He smiled at her. "Abby said something about a boyfriend."

"Ohhhh, she thinks I have one. She said something about my mood being lighter. I told her I don't have boyfriend and it's not like I was lying." She slowly sat up and yawned.

"I think Tony is suspecting something too."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he did. He can be rather nosy."

He watched her as she ran her fingers through her hair. It was shining brightly in the sun. "How do you want to do this?"

She looked at him while trying to ignore the sun that seemed to glare at her. "You mean us?"

"Yeah. I know you said it could be one night with no strings but honestly…" He took a deep breath hoping he wasn't moving too quickly. In fact he was rather shocked that he was moving this fast. Usually he was the one that wanted to take it real slow. "I would like a bit more."

The joke came out in a quick response while her mind hoped she had not been insensitive. "Oh, god you are not going to make me wife number what is it, four or five?" She was glad when he responded with laughter.

She really did know much about him. That was even better. Nothing to hide and nothing he had to tell. He inched closer to her so they were now sitting shoulder to shoulder. "No but I do want you in my life."

"I sort of already am. My brother works for you." She didn't let it get to her when he raised an eyebrow and simply glared at her. She just tilted her head and let it rest on his shoulder. "However I would like to be more in it."

This was going really well. "Actually I like the idea of being your boyfriend." He both heard and felt her laughter in response.

She moved to rest a hand on this closest thigh. "You know that means I cannot lie to Abby next time she asks?"

He let out a small puff of breath. "To be honest, between Abby and Tony we might not be able to keep this between ourselves for too long anyway. They can both be very stubborn."

She knew this was a possibility. "I know, I know. Let's just keep quiet and see what happens."

He grabbed hold of the hand that was on his leg. Their fingers intertwined as he brought her hand up for a kiss. "When Tony first suspected that I was falling for you he said Tim won't like it. You think he is right?"

She thought about that for a moment. "I'd like to think he would be wrong but something tells me it might not be that simple."

He figured she was right. He wasn't the best catch. "You could do better than me."

She turned her head and looked at him. Where had that come from? "No, that's not what I meant."

"I know but let's face it. I'm close to 50 and you are what…?" He purposely trailed off hoping she would continue.

She snorted. "I could care less about the age difference but if you must know I'm 33."

"That's a few years there." He sighed as he tightened his grip on her hand. "You might not care now but later, who knows?"

"Are we seriously having this conversation? It seems a bit serious after only one night of sex, a little morning sex and one night of sleeping." She was satisfied when his face broke out in a smile. "But honestly, age difference does not bother me. Got it?"

"Oh I got it." He let go of her arm and swooped down on her as his mouth came crashing in on hers. Enjoying the sensation of their tongues dancing together he moved her so she was now on top of her.

She pulled back a bit to get a good look at him. "As much as I would like this I really need to go to the bathroom and I also need to take something because my head is really killing me."

He leaned forward and placed as quick kiss on her forehead before he let her go. He watched as she rolled around to get up and then made her way into the bathroom. How the hell did he get so lucky?


	18. Chapter 18

He had been thinking about it for hours now. Actually ever since that phone call and that was about two days ago now. He just knew it was Hannah that Gibbs had been talking to. He just knew it. Should he or shouldn't he? He really shouldn't but needed to know. No, he had to know. Maybe he was wrong about this but what did he have to lose? Though maybe his job? No, Gibbs wouldn't fire him over this. Would he? He shook his head and checked the door. It was unlocked as usual. He took a deep breath and entered. He heard something. A woman was singing. He moved towards the sound and peeked inside the kitchen. There she was clad in a towel and her hair all wet. He had been right. They were involved. Suddenly he bumped his knee against the door frame.

Hannah heard the noise and turned. She sighed when she saw him standing there with eyes as huge as saucers. She really wasn't that shocked that he was there. "Hello Tony!" Her arms went up in front to make sure the towel stayed in place. "Do I really need to ask why you are here?" So they had been busted. Some damage control was needed.

Grateful that she had kept her voice low he stepped forward a bit. Tried to ignore how little she had on. "Ok, listen. I sort of suspected something was going on and tried to stay away. I just had to know." She didn't say anything but simply glared at him. She could put Gibbs to shame with that one. "Sooo…. You and the bossman."

"Yeas, me and 'the bossman'." She brushed some of the wet hair away from her face. "So now when you know for sure you will NOT tell Tim."

How the hell could he keep this away from McGee? "Listen, Hannah…"

She sighed as she tried to make her point clear. "No, you will not. I know he will find out at some point but not from you. Got it?"

He didn't say anything but kept his focus on her. This was going to be tough.

When Gibbs walked through the basement door he heard Hannah's voice.

"Talk to me Tony."

Damn it! Couldn't Tony have left things alone? As Gibbs got closer to the kitchen he heard Tony speak up.

"Ok, I'll keep quiet."

Hannah noticed Gibbs appear behind Tony.

"You better, Dinozzo!"

Tony's whole body jerked around and he could swear he was about to get a heart attack. "BOSS!" His hands gripped the nearest chair for support.

Hannah lowered her arms. "I was just telling Tony not to say anything to Tim. And that of course includes not telling Abby, Ziva, Ducky or anyone else."

Tony turned again to look at Hannah. "Yeah, yeah. I get it." He could not help but to lower his gaze somewhat.

Gibbs carefully eyed his younger agent and proceeded to slap the back of his head. "That's not where her face is."

He had been caught. Tony's gaze quickly came back to rest on Hannah's not so amused face. "Ok, I'm just going to…." He slipped past Gibbs and hoped to be out of there before his boss decided to psychically injure him.

Gibbs knew he couldn't just leave it like that so he hurried after. "Dinozzo!"

He stopped, turned and braced himself. There was one not so happy Gibbs looking back at him.

"Couldn't leave things alone could you?"

"Boss, I just…." He shook his head. "No, couldn't leave things alone."

Gibbs made sure Tony was looking him in the eyes when he spoke next "She means a lot to me Tony. Don't screw this up for me."

Tony gulped. That sounded awfully like a plea. He also knew what Gibbs was talking about. "I won't say anything."

Gibbs simply nodded.

Tony knew he shouldn't but he needed to. He was close to Hannah and cared about her. "Don't hurt her boss. Tim isn't the only one who will be more then pissed with you if you do."

Gibbs was not at all surprised at hearing this from Tony. "I know."

Tony gave him a tight smile and decided to leave.

Hannah came up behind Gibbs as they both watched Tony leave. "You think he'll keep quiet?"

Gibbs sighed as he turned to face her. "I hope so." He wrapped her arms around her when he saw that she was shivering. "I should have locked the door. I usually do these days."

She shrugged. "An old habit can be hard to break."

Tony wasn't sure what the heck he had been doing. As he sat down on the pavement outside Gibbs' house he really wondered why he had bother coming here. Wasn't it better when he had not known and just suspected something? Now that he did know it was so different. How could he not say something to Tim? He could do his best but at some point he knew it would come out. Question was would it come from him or them?

Gibbs had opened the door to see Tony sitting there just like he had suspected. "Tony."

He quickly got up at hearing Gibbs voice. "Yeah."

Gibbs could clearly see that Tony was troubled. Well, he only had himself to blame for this one. "Go home. Don't think about this."

He frowned. How could he not? "I can try."

Gibbs took a step closer. "No, go home and forget that you were ever here."

Gibbs' face was hard and very determined. However Tony could not see any anger there. "Yeah. Go home. Nothing happened. Nothing to tell McGee or Abby or anyone…" When he looked back over at Gibbs he was a little surprised to see a small smile on the older man's lips.

He knew this was weighing heavy on Tony's shoulders. They might not have so long after all. "Good night Tony."

When Gibbs headed back inside Tony started to make his way home. So Boss and Hannah were together. He really hoped that Tim, whenever he would find out, would not be too upset with that news.

Hannah looked up as Gibbs came back in to the living room. "Well?"

He walked over and seated himself next to her. "I don't think he'll be able to keep this for himself. Don't know how long we'll have before he talks."

She took one of his hands in hers and squeezed. "It will be ok." And she really hoped it would be.


	19. Chapter 19

**I had not planned to do it like this but it just flowed on its own.**

'''''''''''''''''

He had done it. The whole week had gone by way to slow for his liking but now it was over. He was grateful that the weekend was here again. He was just about to leave when he heard the dreaded voice.

"Tony."

He should have known. Hey wait, Gibbs had called him Tony. Double wait, it actually sounded like Gibbs wasn't mad, annoyed or anything. So Tony relaxed back into his chair. "Yeah, Boss. Is this important? I was actually looking forward to getting out of here."

The case they had been working on had been difficult but Gibbs knew that Tony was trying to stay as much away from him as possible for more personal reasons. He had done pretty well all week. "Actually it is."

Tony waited while eyeing the older man who now got up and walked over to him. "Yes?" He had not expected Gibbs to sigh and look so uncomfortable. However it was only for a moment and then it was gone.

Gibbs really didn't do well with these things. "We have been talking and well, it's not fair for you to keep our secret."

Ok, this was interesting. "You and Hannah you mean?" A nod was his answer. "Well, I did pry my nose into it."

He had and Gibbs had no doubt that Tony would keep prying his nose into even more matters in the future as well. "Yeah you did, but I've been watching you. It's really bothering you."

Tony couldn't deny it was getting to him a bit. However he could understand why they wanted to keep this quiet for now. "Knowing this and keeping it from Tim, yeah a little."

There was silence as both men simply looked at each other.

Tony leaned forward and rested his arms on his desk. "Are you happy Boss?"

That question caught Gibbs off guard. The reply wasn't far away though. "Yes."

Tony smiled a little at the slightly startled look he had seen on Gibbs' face. "You think Hannah is happy?"

Gibbs thought about that for a few seconds. She had not said anything to make him believe otherwise. "I sure hope so."

"That's good."

More silence.

How he hated this awkwardness. This had to stop, now. "Look Tony, if you tell Tim neither Hannah nor I will be upset with you. To be honest, I'm kind of surprised you lasted this long."

Tony couldn't help but to laugh at that comment. "Honestly, me too Boss."

Gibbs lips curved up in a small smile. The awkwardness was fading away. "Night, Tony."

"Night, Boss." Now for some reason Tony didn't feel like leaving just yet. He watched as Gibbs made his way to the elevator and then he was gone. Tony stretched as he thought about the conversation. So he was free to tell Tim. That sounded good but at the same time he didn't know if he should. He was startled when he saw Tim emerge from the shadows. Shit!

"Shouldn't you go home Tony?" This case had really gotten to him. Cases with children were never easy. He had barely slept but was afraid if he did sleep he would have night mares.

Tony looked at him closely. Had he heard anything? He seemed not himself but then again the case had gotten to him. "I'm on my way." Still he wasn't sure.

Tim stopped and found himself being scrutinized. "What?"

"It's nothing." No it didn't seem like anything had been overheard. "Got any weekend plans Probie?"

He sighed as he opened the drawer. "No."

Tony decided to call it a night. "Oh, no plans with that friend of yours that stopped by earlier?"

Tim thought for a second. "Oh that guy. No he just wanted to ask me if I could set up him and Hannah on a date."

Tony chuckled. "Right, do that and Boss will kill you." The moment the words had been uttered the realization hit him. He didn't dare to move.

What? "Why would Boss care if I set Hannah up on a date?" When he received no answer he finally looked over at Tony. He knew that look. It's the look Tony's face had whenever he had said too much. "Tony?"

Not good, definitely not good. What should he say now? He tried to play it casual when Tim got closer. "What?"

Tim didn't like this. "Why…would… Gibbs…." He froze as he realized what might be going on. No, no wait a minute. A memory came flashing though his mind. "Boss would know better then what?"

Oh boy, he remembered that. "They have just gotten friendly." Oh way to help there. What the heck was wrong with him?

Tim narrowed his eyes as he searched Tony's face for clues. He was nervous. Tony never got nervous around him. "Just how friendly is Gibbs with my sister?"

Tony didn't miss that Tim's voice was now like ice. This was getting worse and worse. "Look, Tim…."

"How friendly Tony?" He had not meant to yell but it just came out that way.

Tony did not often see this side of the younger agent. What was the point in denying it? Tim wasn't stupid. He would figure it out without his help anyway. "They have become very friendly."

Tim exhaled and tried to calm himself down. "How long has this been going on?"

The voice was lower now but still there was harshness in it. Tony sighed deeply. Tim was definitely upset. "I don't know. I've known myself for a few days only." He received a glare from Tim that was very similar to the one he had received from Hannah days earlier.

Tim walked over to his desk, slammed the drawer and picked up his bag. He took another deep breath and another. There was someone he had to see.

"Tim?" Tony watched him walk away. This was so not good at all. He watched as Tim didn't even bother waiting for the elevator but took the stairs. Tony quickly fished out his phone and dialed. "Come on. Come on." He heard the busy tone and hung up. He tried another number. Yet another busy tone greeted his ear. Great they were probably talking to each other. He flipped the phone shut. What a mess.


	20. Chapter 20

**A little note first. I really do not mind negative comments with constructive criticism. Besides a story cannot please every person that reads it. That is rare. When I first posted this I wasn't sure if it would go over well since I paired Gibbs with an OC but I've received wonderful response for it and that I am grateful for. So again, thanks for all the alerts, favorites and reviews. And no matter where this journey may go I hope you will continue to enjoy the ride.**

**A little different chapter this time since I felt that it would work well together as one.**

''''''''''''

Hannah opened the door and smiled when she saw him. "Tim." She noticed something different about him right away but didn't give it much thought as she gestured for him to come inside. "I heard you solved the case."

He frowned. Right, Gibbs probably called her.

Once in the living room she seated herself on the couch and waited for Tim to join her. "Abby called me."

Ok then. He did not sit down but remained standing. Ever since finding out that his sister and boss were 'involved' he had tried to get his thoughts in order. An impossible task it would seem.

"Tim?" She didn't like the look on his face. "What's going on?"

He took a deep breath. "I know."

She stilled. Was he talking about her and Gibbs? She waited for something else but when he said nothing more she spoke. "Know what?" She wanted him to say it.

He let out a frustrated sigh. "I know about you and Gibbs."

Ok, this was it. She usually could read her brother pretty well but now, she got nothing. That worried her. "How did you find out?"

He might as well sit down for this. "A friend came to work that wanted me to fix him up on a date with you. It was Markus by the way. I told Tony about it. His response was and I quote 'Boss will kill you.' Then he told me."

It was time to ask THE question. "So, Tim, how do you feel about this?" She wondered in that moment if Gibbs knew that the truth about them was out.

"Gibbs."

"_Boss, thank God. I've been trying to call you. McGee knows."_

Gibbs gripped the steering wheel harder. "You told him?"

"_No, I mean yes. I did not mean to but he said something and my response gave away too much."_

He had figured that something like this would be how Tim would find out. "What happened?"

"_A friend of his came to see him. At lunch remember? Wanted McGee to fix a date with Hannah and basically I told him that if he did, you would kill him."_

He couldn't help but to smile slightly at Tony's comment. His mind quickly returned to Hannah and he was thankful that he was just now outside her apartment. Yeah, Tim was there. "I'll talk to you later Tony." He shut the phone not waiting for an answer. As he parked the car he wondered if he would make things worse by joining them. He quickly made up his mind and got out.

Tim got up and took a few steps away from her. "I don't know. I've been trying to make sense of this but I can't. It's my boss!"

"I know he is." Hannah said in a low voice.

They did not hear the door that was being opened and then closed.

Tim turned towards her and talked with a rather loud voice. "And he's been married four times. God knows how many women he's had."

Gibbs sighed heavily. Tim was not happy at all. He moved quietly and watched them from the side of the hallway.

Hannah knew that her brother was working himself up. She waited for him to continue to get it all out.

"Not to mention that his three ex-wives were probably replacements for Shannon. Is that what you want to be?" He looked at her waiting for an answer.

This time Gibbs could not help but to start to feel angry. Tim clearly had no idea what he was talking about.

Hannah stood up slowly. "I'm not marrying him."

Tim laughed bitterly. "No not now but what if you did?"

She took two steps closer to him. "Then I would hope that I would not be a replacement and honestly, I do not think he would do that. I really do not think the others were replacements but perhaps a simple wish to be happy again. I do believe that he did love them at some point."

Gibbs anger faded away and he smiled. It was amazing how well she knew him already.

"You don't know that."

"Neither do you."

They glared at each other.

Hannah decided to take a different path. "I suspected that you wouldn't be too happy about this. However I would think, considering my past, that you would be happy that I am with a man that you know is one of the good ones."

Tim frowned. Did she really think that would work on him? He was getting really frustrated. "Gibbs may not treat you the way your past boyfriends have but believe me if he wants to he can find other ways." He couldn't believe he had just said that.

Hannah was really shocked at his words. "Are you for real? After all you've said about him you are comparing him to them?"

Gibbs was getting more and more curious. What were they talking about? Surely Tim knew that he would, that he did, treat Hannah well.

Tim sighed deeply. "Nothing makes sense anymore. Nothing! I don't know. What I mean is Gibbs can be stubborn, quite scary and frankly I do not know how he treated his women in the past."

Hannah tried to calm herself down. "Tim." It was said with love and she hoped he heard it. "I doubt he abused them psychically or verbally."

Gibbs did not like the thought of anyone having hurt her. Perhaps it was why Tim felt the need to be so protective of her. Gibbs could understand. He felt the same way.

"No he most likely didn't." He said in a low and defeated tone. "I have to go."

"Tim." Hannah reached out to him but he brushed her off albeit gently.

When he turned he had barely taken a step before he saw Gibbs moving forward. Tim gave him a hard look and then walked past his boss never looking back.

Hannah grimly smiled at Gibbs as she watched her brother walk away. She wanted to go after him but she knew better. He needed time alone to absorb this.

Gibbs was torn. He wanted, no he needed to talk to Tim but his heart told him to be with Hannah. He walked up to her and when he got a closer look at her sad face it tore at his heart strings. He wrapped his arms around her as she responded in kind.

It felt good to be in his arms. She felt safe as she buried her face in his chest.

"He'll come around." He whispered into her hair hoping he was right

Neither had heard the footsteps that had suddenly stopped or the pair of green eyes that was now watching them.


	21. Chapter 21

"Tim, are you ok? You look like you just lost your best friend." She threw her arms around him and stood for a moment there just holding him.

Abby always had a way of making one feel better. Reluctantly Tim drew back and half smiled at her. "I'm ok Abby. I just need to talk."

"Sure, come on in." She waited while he walked inside. As she closed the door she wondered what he needed to talk about. It seemed to be something very serious. "Would you like something to drink?" She asked as she entered the kitchen right behind him.

"No thanks." He seated himself on a chair.

"What's wrong?" She hovered over him trying to get him to open up.

He inhaled and let out some air not even looking at her. "I'm wrong. I'm stupid."

She frowned at him. "I can't believe that. Now tell me what is going on?" She took a seat on the chair next to him.

"Hannah and Gibbs are seeing each other." It all came out in a rush.

She had not expected something like that but the news made her happy. "Cool." She withheld from saying more when he gave her a quick look. "You don't like it?"

"I don't know. I think I may have over reacted a bit when I talked to Hannah. I had not expected that those two would you know, date." He drummed with his fingers on the table.

She laid a hand on his arm. "So you talked to her. It didn't go well then?

"I said some things that weren't very nice and I think Gibbs overheard it."

"What did you say?"

He looked back at her again at that point. "That all his ex-wives were replacements for Shannon. Did she want to be one? Who know who many women he's had and such."

Abby shook her head sadly. "Oh Timmy, you know better than that. You insulted both Hannah and Gibbs at the same time."

Tim had to get it all out. "I know but that's not the worst of it."

Abby was afraid to ask. "What else?"

Tim took another deep breath. "I compared him to her past boyfriends."

She nodded. "I take it she's been in some bad relationships?"

"Yeah, she was psychically and verbally abused." He tried to ignore the images that flashed up in memory.

She didn't know what to say to that. She stroked his arm gently while searching for the right words. "You know Gibbs would never do something like that to her or any other woman for that matter."

"I know." It was in a very sad tone that came out.

She could see this was getting to him. "I'm sure they both know that you didn't mean it too."

"It just took me by surprise." He remembered something and looked back at her. "But you knew something was up didn't you?"

"I did?"

"When we were over at Gibbs' house that night you and Hannah had been out. You said something about her being at her boyfriend's." He didn't give her a chance to say anything when he realized what that could mean. "Oh god that means she was there when we were." His hand went to his face in an attempt to hide.

Abby took a hold of his hands and brought them back down. "Listen Tim, I didn't know she was seeing someone. I suspected because she seemed to be in a much better mood then usual and was giggling more. That was even before we started drinking. Not to mention she avoided my boyfriend questions. So I suspected something but wasn't really sure."

He nodded at her.

"Why don't you go and talk to Gibbs? Ask him whatever you want to know and he will answer you. Put your fears to rest." She smiled at him hoping he would do what she had suggested.

"You think he will want to talk to me? It's his private life and we all know how he likes to keep it that way." He wanted to hear her say it. To confirm again that Gibbs would talk to him. Especially after what he had said to Hannah and that Gibbs, no doubt, had overheard.

"Yes but this time his private life includes your sister. So yeah, he will talk to you." She dragged him up to his feet and ushered him out of the kitchen. "Go."

He knew she was right. He needed to talk to Gibbs. "Ok, I'll go." He stopped by the door and turned to her. "Thanks Abby."

"Anytime." She beamed back at him glad that he now seemed to be in a better mood. She watched him leave and soon headed for her phone. She knew this wasn't easy for Tim. She wanted to help so she had one more thing to do. She dialed and waited. It only took a moment.

"_Gibbs."_

He sounded tired. Poor guy, this was not an easy evening for any of them. "Hey you, guess who was just here?"

"_Tim?"_

Of course he would know that one. "You're no fun but yeah, he was here. We had a good talk and I told him to go back and talk to you."

"_You did?"_

Hmm, he did not sound very surprised at that. "Yeah, he feels bad about what he said before. I think this whole thing just caught him off guard. Be nice to him Gibbs."

"_He wasn't very nice to Hannah."_

"Or you?" When he kept quiet she went on. "Just talk to him Gibbs and be truthful. It will be ok."

"_I hope so. Thanks Abby."_

"Glad to be of help." She shouldn't but she couldn't help herself. "So, how are things going with you and Hannah?" There was a soft chuckle on the line and she was glad to hear it.

"_You just had to ask?"_

She laughed into the phone. "Yeah, you know me. I really like her a lot so if you do anything to cause her pain I just may have to hurt you physically."

"_I care about her too much to do that."_

She had no doubt that he did.

"_What if she hurts me?"_

She laughed again at his lighthearted tone. "Then I hurt her. I'm looking out for both of you."

"_I know."_

"Can I talk to Hannah?"

"_Sure, hold on."_

She waited as she heard the voices in the background. He was probably catching her up on what had happened.

"_Abby?"_

"Hi. Don't know if Gibbs told you but Tim was here."

"_I heard. How was he?"_

Abby could clearly hear the voice of the worried sister looking out for her brother. It made her smile. "He was a bit upset but more for the things he said to you."

"_Oh."_

"He is coming back over to talk to Gibbs. I'm sure things will work out_."_

"_Thanks Abby. I'm glad Tim has you to turn to when he needs someone."_

That compliment warmed Abby's heart. "I'm glad he came. Listen I just need to say if you hurt Gibbs in any way I will have to hurt you too."

"_I understand where you are coming from but I doubt that will be necessary."_

It was said in a gently tone and she had a feeling Hannah's was right. "I'm happy for you both."

"_Thanks Abs. Talk to you soon?"_

"We will definitely do that. Bye."

Abby hung up the phone and hoped that with this call she had made it easier for Tim. She really hoped it would go well. Of course it would. There was no reason why it shouldn't.


	22. Chapter 22

**Until it was brought up the first time the fraternizing issue was not something that I was aware of. Since then it's been on my mind. Obviously this is something that both Gibbs and McGee would know about. **

**Not sure if this should be warned or not but mention of rape in this chapter.**

''''''''''''''''

Hannah drank her coffee while getting up the courage to talk to him. He had not brought it up yet but she knew it was on his mind. She could tell. If anything by the way he had been glancing in her direction over and over again. It was time.

Suddenly Gibbs could feel that he was being stared at. "What?"

She sighed as she sat down her mug. "Just wondering when you are going to ask me?"

"Ask you what?" He had a pretty good idea where she was going with this but he didn't want to pressure her.

"I know you overheard me Tim and talk." She sat back into the couch.

He looked at her then. "Whenever you want to talk I'm here to listen. No need to rush anything."

She knew he meant it but she wanted to get it out. Now was a good time. "I had a knack for finding guys who would treat me like crap. Perhaps it was they who could spot a weak woman from a mile away."

He said nothing as he waited for her to continue. He took another sip of his coffee.

"Once they started to mistreat me I really didn't object. Figured I earned anything they gave me." She was getting there. Slowly but she was getting there.

He looked at her again and couldn't help but to ask. "Why?"

She had to smile at the tenderness in his voice. "Why I let them treat me like that?" She took a deep breath. This was it. "When I was fifteen years old a new family moved in next door. The kids were twin boys, my age."

He let go of his mug and moved in closer to her. Whatever she was going to say he knew it was going to be tough. It was written all over her face.

"They took an interest in me right away. They wanted me to date them. Both of them mind you. 'We're twins. We share everything.' They would say." She laughed bitterly at the memory. "I wasn't interested."

He watched as she seemed to zone out and he remembered those early days when he was just getting to know her. How she would talk about something painful and not really be there herself. This was different. Her face was different. There was hardness to it and her eyes seemed to become a darker shade.

"One day when I came home the twins was waiting for me in my house."

He was a bit taken aback at her voice. It was nothing like he had ever heard from her before. Low, hard, almost calculating and he wondered just what she was going to tell him. Did he really want to hear it?

"I barely had time to react when they almost knocked me out and dragged me down to the basement. Down there they… raped me. In between turns they told me how useless I was, how I wouldn't ever amount to anything and such."

Gibbs swallowed hard. He couldn't even imagine the horror she must have gone through. This was definitely not something he wanted to hear more of but he knew this might be the only time she would talk about it. He was afraid to touch her as she seemed to barely hold herself together as it was. He had to try so he laid a hand gently on one of hers. When she didn't react at all he knew she had not even felt the touch.

"They kept me in the basement for four days before they let me go."

He felt sick. He felt like punching something hard.

"I don't know how I coped in the next few days. I would barely function in school and then when it was over I would run home to hide in the attic. Sometimes I would catch them watching me and I was afraid they would drag me to the basement again."

He watched her blink a few times as if coming back and then she turned to face him. Her eyes were moist. He squeezed her hand and this time he knew she felt it.

She had done it. The secret was out. "So you must have some questions."

He shook his head. "They can wait." He found that his voice was barely holding.

She leaned in to him wanting to feel him next to her. "No, please. I rather get it all out. Ask whatever you want."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders to hold her close. He did not like this voice from her either. Pleading and scared. "Where were your dad and Tim during those four days?"

She twisted a bit so she would sit more comfortable and felt him do the same. "Dad was away on business and Tim was in his new apartment."

He nodded against her head. "Did you ever tell them?"

She wiped away a tear that fell down her cheek. "After a while I told my dad. That was a mistake. He basically told me it was my fault."

"What?" He couldn't stop himself. It came out in a rush.

"Yeah, 'that's what happened to bad girls when they were short skirts' is what he said. I probably encouraged them. They are good boys and I just had to go and corrupt them."

Gibbs was utterly disgusted. He couldn't understand what would make a father say such things. What the hell had that man been thinking?

"Dad was never the same after mom died but I never thought he would…" She couldn't even finish as she withdrew from Gibbs. She was getting tired.

He wanted to draw her back but decided against it. "What about Tim?"

"He came for a visit a few days later. He found me in the attic. I had just gotten home after running away from the twins. They almost caught me and ripped part of my sweater off. He asked me what had happened and I couldn't say anything."

He couldn't help it but he drew her back into his arms and he was glad when she didn't resist. "You were afraid he would react like your father?" He whispered.

It was all so true. How could she ever have doubted her brother? "I'm ashamed to say that, yes I did."

"No shame. It's understandable. One of the men you trusted most in your life just betrayed you so it's no wonder you would think the same of Tim." He placed a gentle kiss in her hair.

"Tim stayed with me for hours before I started to open up to him. He was horrified. That evening he helped me pack my bags and took me to his apartment. The next day he took me to the police station to report it and then there was the trial. The twins were eventually sent to a Juvenile Detention Center."

He always knew that Tim was stronger than people gave him credit for. However Gibbs now had a new level of respect for the younger man. "What about your dad?"

"Tim really let him have it. Every chance he got. I just stayed away from him and ignored him completely. Once the trial was over and I was then living with Tim that was it. He hasn't been in our lives since."

He felt so bad for her and for Tim. No father should act like that. He felt an urge to find out just where the man lived now to give him what he deserved. Although that might do more damage than good. "I hope you know that you mean a lot to me." He kissed her hair again. "I would do anything to keep you safe." He knew he quite possible could be in love with her. If not yet then he was on his way. He did know that he had very strong feelings for her. To hear he reveal such a terrible thing from her past made him respect and care for her even more.

She did know. "I know and I feel the same way about you Gibbs."

"Jethro." He corrected her.

She chuckled slightly. "I'll try to remember that Jethro." She felt his hands on her shoulder as he turned her to face him. She gave him a small smile right before he drew her in closer for a kiss.


	23. Chapter 23

**Huge, huge thanks to literatefool whose help I am extremely grateful for. **

''''''''''''''

He opened his eyes and yawned. He felt stiff. Where was he? Right, he had fallen asleep on Hannah's couch. He sat up and stretched. There were noises coming from the kitchen. He got up and walked towards them. There she was making coffee. Standing still he just observed her for a moment. She had red sweat pants on and a white tank top. Her hair was in a ponytail. She was beautiful. He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Morning." He started to nuzzle her neck.

"God morning." She put her hands over his hands enjoying the attention. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, must have been more tired than I thought." He placed small kisses on her neck.

She felt ticklish and ducked away from him. "Stop that." She giggled.

She was out of his arms before he could react. "You protest now but I know you like it." He winked at her as he walked over to the kitchen table and sat down.

She placed a mug in front of him. "You want breakfast?"

"No, just coffee will be good." He wrapped one hand around the mug.

She decided to bring it up. "Tim never came by last night." It was said with a heavy heart.

He looked back up at her. "No."

"Maybe he needs more time." She poured some coffee into his mug and then into her own.

He blew on the hot caffeine content and then sipped carefully while never taking his eyes of her.

She gave him a small smile as she seated herself. "You know, maybe this was a bad idea? I mean us."

Where had that come from? Did she have second thoughts? He didn't answer hoping she would explain herself.

She sighed. "Before we got together I didn't know." It really didn't help the way he raised one eyebrow when he was confused. She found that cute. "Fraternizing. I didn't know it would be an issue."

Damn, she knew. It had been on his mind and he was truly clueless what to do about it. He figured this was one of the main reasons as to why Tim would be so upset.

"It's not fair to expect Tim to adjust his life for us… for me. It's not fair to expect you to do it either." She drank some of her coffee.

This sounded awfully like a break up speech. He hoped that it wasn't.

"We haven't been seeing each other that long and what if we break up later on? Then someone will have made a sacrifice for nothing." This was really hard but it was necessary.

He had nothing to say. There was nothing he could think of that would make either of them feel any better. Then again there was something he wanted to say. "I don't regret us." He hated how his voice sounded so small. He was glad for the smile she gave him albeit however brief it was.

"Then what should we do? I mean the possibility of breaking up is always there but like I said this thing between us is so new." She took a deep breath and puffed out the air fast. "Listen I have an idea and it might be I don't know, weird but hear me out."

He nodded wondering what she was going to suggest.

"What if we don't see each other for a while? Maybe we can figure out just how we feel for each other and if it it's real or just a spur of the moment thing." She looked down at her mug not sure of what kind of reaction she would get.

Ok, that had been unexpected. He hated the idea of not seeing her. He reached out and placed a hand over one of hers. She looked up at him and he shook his head. "No, I don't want that. We'll work something out."

"You think that is possible?" Part of her was glad that he had said no while another part screamed that she should propose the idea it to him again later at some point. Let him mull it over.

"We **WILL** work something out." He repeated hoping he would make her believe it as well.

"I would like to think that we can." She drew back her hand and got up. "I just wish I could talk to Tim."

"You will." Tim might not come to him easily but surely the man would talk to his sister.

"Darn it, if I had known…." She almost slammed down the mug on the counter.

He got up and walked over to her. "Then you wouldn't have gotten involved with me?"

She looked at him and realized she was deluding herself. "I don't know. I might have resisted more. I just…" She sighed heavily as she turned and looked out the window. "I really don't know."

He reached out with a hand and guided her face back to look at him. "I know it's selfish but I'm glad you didn't." Yes, he was being very selfish right now but looking into her eyes he knew he could face anything. Just as long as she was there.

She almost sank into his embrace and wrapped her arms around him. "It's no wonder that Tim was mad. It wasn't only about your past."

"He did exaggerate that. There haven't been that many women in my life." He really didn't understand why he felt the need to defend himself. Then again he figured he just might know why. It was important to him that she knew that.

"It doesn't matter." She felt him move and soon his hands were on either side of her face.

"It does matter to me that you know I'm not some Don Juan." His eyes searched hers for some confirmation that she believed that. When she nodded with a small smile and embraced him again he was satisfied. "We will work something out." He said again into her hair.

"Yeah." But her heart told her it wasn't going to be that easy.


	24. Chapter 24

**Fraternization**** means that usually and especially in the government, you cannot be directly supervised by someone that has a close personal relationship with you or someone close to you. So, your boss can't be your brother in law, step sibling, in-law, parent, spouse, lover, etc. This may give you an advantage - undeserved high performance ratings. It might also be considered a safety risk - if someone you care about or someone you care about loves is in trouble, it could distract you to the point of disaster.**

''''''''''''''''

Hannah was hoping that the person who was knocking on her front door was Tim. When she opened the door and saw Abby she couldn't help but to be a bit disappointed. She didn't show it in her face or in her voice when she spoke. "Abby."

Abby threw her arms around Hannah. "You and Gibbs, that is so cool." She gave her friend a tight squeeze and then drew back.

"Is it?" Hannah gestured for Abby to come inside.

Abby frowned as she closed the door behind her. "I take it didn't go well with Tim last night?"

Hannah sighed as she entered the living room. "He never came by."

"He didn't? I was so sure he would come here and talk to Gibbs." This must be harder for Tim then she ever thought it would be. Still she felt a bit disappointed as she sat down while placing her purse on the table.

Hannah looked over at Abby. "You know one of the main reasons why I shouldn't be with Gibbs. Something I didn't even realize would be a problem before I read up on it."

Abby cut her off. "You are talking about….?"

"Yeah." Hannah cut her off this time not wanting to hear the word.

Abby nodded. "I thought about that too. I didn't bring it up with Tim. He most likely knew about it already. What are you going to do?"

"I had this idea but Gibbs shot me down. He wouldn't even consider it. I'll bring it up again later though."

"What idea?"

"That we wouldn't see each other until we figured out this thing between us." She ran a hand over her hair. "I don't know if it's a good idea but it's the only one I got that won't make it more difficult for either Tim or Gibbs."

"Yeah but it doesn't really matter since Gibbs wouldn't agree with it. I can understand that." She had to smile a bit at the slightly surprised face Hannah was giving her. "Just like with you I saw some changes in him. Small but they were there. When he would bring me Caf-Pow he would smile more and he would laugh more at some bad joke that was being made. He seemed happy. I suspected that you might be seeing someone and that he was seeing someone also did but didn't think it was you two with each other."

Hannah liked the thought that she made Gibbs, no Jethro happy. That didn't last long as her thought's returned to Tim. "I feel like I'm destroying my relationship with Tim."

Abby got up and walked over to where Hannah sat and seated herself next to her. She wrapped an arm around Hannah's shoulders. "No you are not. You may be shaking it up a bit but you could never destroy it."

Hannah appreciated the words and the gesture even more. "I hope you are right. We've been through so much together and he has always been there for me. Even during the times I didn't deserve it."

"That's what family is for." Abby laid her head on Hannah's shoulder. "And friends."

Hannah didn't say anything but now her head was resting on Abby's. She didn't feel words where needed just then. Just sitting there with Abby was nice enough.

When Gibbs entered the living room he stopped in his tracks. He smiled at the scene in front of him. Clearly Abby and Hannah had become close friends and that made him very happy. He didn't want to interrupt them so he turned to go back to where he had come from.

"I don't know Abby." Hannah suddenly felt the urge to speak again. "I feel like I'm screwing up both Tim and Gibbs' lives."

That stopped him from moving completely and he turned slightly in the doorway to watch them.

Abby patted her back. "Don't think like that. Things are complicated but nothing is impossible."

Hannah sometimes wished she had Abby's enthusiasm. Right now she was grateful for it.

Gibbs hoped that Hannah would take Abby's words to heart. He watched as both women looked at each other and smiled. He saw Hannah moving her eyes in his direction and Abby nodded. Then suddenly they both turned towards him. He had been busted. "Hey Abby." He didn't get a chance to say much more before she was up and in his arms.

"I'm really excited for you and Hannah." She drew back and backtracked a bit. "I mean its complex but you deserve to be happy Gibbs."

He gave her a small smile. "Sometimes I think I do."

Hannah frowned when she heard that. Why would he say such a thing?

"Ok, where did that come from? Of course you do. Now, I need to go. Have some errands to do." She picked up her small purse and waved at them both. "Enjoy the rest of the weekend and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

As Abby walked away Gibbs now took the vacant seat next to Hannah and looked at her. He waited until she was looking back at him. "You are not screwing up my life."

"You deserve to be happy." She threw back to him.

They watched each other wondering who would speak next.

Gibbs finally nodded and saw her do the same. He sat back into the couch and drew her with him. As she settled nicely into his arms he kissed her cheek. He really hoped they could work this out. For the first time in years he was happy. Even if a small voice told him that he didn't deserve to be happy another bigger voice told him that he did deserve it. Every moment spent with Hannah was making him happy and he didn't want it to end. Somehow, although he didn't know how yet, he would see to it that it stayed that way.


	25. Chapter 25

**Argh, when I was on a roll and wrote more than one chapter at once this chapter got overwritten with another one. The rewrite isn't as good as the first try. **_**Sigh.**_

''''''''''

She looked familiar. It wasn't her was it? As Tim got closer he could see that it was indeed Abby that was sitting on the park bench. When she spotted him she waved him over. He knew why she was there and it was with heavy steps that he walked over towards her. He soon sat down next to her. "I don't need to ask you why you are here now do I?"

"No. You don't." She waited for a response but when she didn't get one she went on. "Why didn't you go?"

"I just couldn't do it. I couldn't talk to Gibbs." He answered truthfully.

"Ok, give it time and you will." She so hoped she was right. "Who knows maybe Hannah will get him to go along with her idea." As she hoped he was now looking at her. He was interested. "Maybe if the two of them didn't see each other for a while they could figure out how real their feelings were."

He turned away from Abby and looked out at the pathway where a mother just passed with her child. "That doesn't make sense."

Abby frowned at what he had said. "It's a start isn't it? Anyway, If they discover that these feelings were only temporary they will not get back together and the problem would be solved." That thought made Abby a bit sad tough.

Not all things were as easy as Abby wanted them to be. "And it they are real?"

She reached out a hand to touch his arm. "Then Gibbs will find a way to make it work."

He shouldn't have expected anything else from Gibbs biggest supporter. "You have a lot of faith in him Abby. You always had. I don't think I do anymore."

"Tim, don't say that." She squeezed his arm gently.

He turned to face her again. "Come on Abby. You can't seriously think Gibbs is some kind of superman that can fix everything at all times." He didn't like the hurt that was now visible on her face and that he had put it there. He had to look away.

She did not like the bitterness in Tim's voice. This was not going as she had planned. Obviously Tim was more hurt then she originally had thought. The fact that she couldn't make him feel better was also troubling her. "Give him a chance." She whispered almost silently.

He stood up and inhaled the warm breeze. "I think it's time to go."

She stood up next to him. She didn't know what to say. She had come here to try and make things better. She hoped she had not made things worse. "Ok."

He turned to face her one last time. "I don't think I can give him a chance Abby."

It was said with such coldness it almost frightened her. "Why not?" Then it struck her. Maybe he was afraid of losing his sister. "Are you afraid that you might lose Hannah? I mean you are close and no doubt now she'll be spending more time with Gibbs and…."

"Abby." He saw her shut her mouth and scrunched her nose. Part of him didn't want to admit that he was a bit afraid of that too. His feelings and admiration for Gibbs had changed. He felt nothing for the man right now and wanted nothing to do with him. That would impact his relationship with his sister no doubt. "Listen, things have changed for me and Hannah sure but I doubt I'll lose my sister over it. Like you said, we're too close for that. However, our relationship might change thanks to Gibbs. It might change for the worse and I can't forgive him for that."

Abby nodded completely understanding of how he could feel the way he did. "He wouldn't want to come between you and Hanna. You know that Tim."

He sighed deeply. "I don't want to talk about Gibbs." He said it with such a loud voice he noticed that Abby cringed a bit. He reached took a hold of one of her hands and squeezed it gently. She gave him a tight smile and though it wasn't her usual bright one he was satisfied with it. He leaned in and gave her a small kiss on her cheek. "I'll see you later."

She grabbed a hold of him and hugged him tight. "If you ever need to talk please call me. I won't talk about Gibbs if you don't want to."

There was desperation in her voice he hated but he hugged her back. "I will."

She reluctantly withdrew and watched as he walked away. She sank back onto the park bench. Why did she feel like she had made things so much worse?


	26. Chapter 26

As Tony made his way into the bullpen Monday morning he stopped abruptly when he saw Tim cleaning out his desk. "What the hell are you doing McGee?"

"It's for the best." Tim answered with a calm voice not bothering to look up.

Tony dropped his bag by his own desk and walked over to him. "I tried calling you all weekend."

Tim nodded. "I know. I just didn't feel like talking."

Tony grabbed Tim's shoulders and turned him around to look at him. "I'm sorry that I kept this from you. I'm sorry I told you like that."

Tim was actually rather touched by Tony's words and to show it he gave the other man a small smile. "It's ok Tony. It really is. No hard feelings."

Tony let his hands drop to his sides. The words that had been spoken had been sincere. He looked down at Tim's almost empty desk. "What are you doing?"

Tim continued to pack his last items. "I'm going to be working in Cyber Crimes for a while until my transfer is approved."

"What?" He reached out with a hand to stop Tim from packing anything else "Tim, no."

Tim stopped for a moment to look at him then. "Hannah deserves to be happy." With that he took the box and started to walk away.

Tony was hot on his heels. "Tim…"

Tim sighed as he stopped and turned back to look at Tony. "I'd really like to get out of here before Gibbs comes in."

There was a deep bitterness in that tone that made Tony cringe. "Ok." He didn't move as he watched Tim walk away and then take the stairs. This is not how it's supposed to be. He felt conflicted. He also wanted Hannah to be happy and Gibbs deserved happiness as well. But not like this. Darn it! How could he have forgotten about the fraternization rule? He slapped his forehead. How could he have been so stupid? He walked back to his desk and slumped into his chair. The elevator opened and he saw Gibbs walking in with Ziva.

As soon as Gibbs saw Tony he knew something was up. Then he saw Tim's empty desk. Aw hell!

Ziva wasn't sure what was going on. "What's this?" She pointed towards the empty desk.

"McGee is going to work with Cyber Crimes." Tony answered. "Until his transfer is approved."

Ziva was shocked. "What? Why?"

Gibbs didn't move. This was not how he wanted things to be done.

Tony tried to get a feeling to what Gibbs was thinking but as usual he had no luck. Boss did look awfully pale though. He wasn't sure if he should answer Ziva's question.

"He did it because I am seeing Hannah McGee." Gibbs started to walk over to his desk but his steps felt awfully heavy. Why couldn't McGee have come to him? He is the one that needed to fix this. Not Tim.

"You are seeing his sister?" Ziva's voice was hard. "What were you thinking?"

Of Course Ziva would remember the rule in seconds. Tony felt even more foolish now.

Gibbs glared at her as he sat down but said nothing.

That glare wouldn't work on her this time. "It is not right for McGee to have to change his life for you."

"No, it's not." Gibbs agreed.

Ziva was a bit taken a back at the soft voice in which Gibbs had just spoken. It made her voice loose it's hardness to it. "Then what are you going to do Gibbs?"

"I don't know." He replied truthfully. Damn it, McGee shouldn't have done this!

Ziva was shocked again. Those were words you did not often hear from him. She realized he was beating himself up more than she ever could so she let it go. He might not know now but he would find a way.

The elevator doors were opened again and a black blur ran inside.

Gibbs saw her coming and stood up. She was crying.

Abby threw her arms around Gibbs and the words flew from her mouth. "I am sorry. I didn't think he would do anything when I told him. I had no idea."

Tony and Ziva exchanged looks wondering what was going on now.

"Calm down Abs." He grabbed a hold of her shoulders and drew her gently away from him. "What did you tell him?"

Abby brought her hands up to her face and clasped them together. "I told him about Hannah's idea."

Gibbs shook his head sadly. "Abs…"

Tony moved from behind his desk closer to them and noticed Ziva doing the same. "What idea is she talking about?"

Abby turned to face them both. "Hannah had this idea that she and Gibbs not see each other for a while. You know to figure out how real these feelings between them are."

"I refused to go along with it." Gibbs cut her off waiting for the onslaught of fire from Ziva and possible Tony as well.

Ziva couldn't help but to almost yell. "You refused to wait, for what, a few months to test this new relationship and now because of that McGee has asked for a transfer."

Gibbs didn't say anything but waited for more.

Abby blinked at the anger that was coming from Ziva.

"Ziva." Tony tried but failed.

She almost spit out the words. "That is very selfish of you Gibbs."

"I know." He knew she was right.

Again, the softness in his voice but more the fact that he had agreed ebbed out some of her anger. She hated when he did that. She looked at his face closely. She could almost see the guilt and the turmoil that was in there. She walked back to her desk uttering a few words in Hebrew.

Gibbs turned towards Tony. "Go ahead."

Tony sighed deeply. "You know what Tim said before he left?"

Gibbs didn't know if he even wanted to hear it. "What?"

"He said that Hannah deserves to be happy." That was all it took as he watched Gibbs sank back into his chair like the wind had been knocked out of him. "He gave you a great gift Boss. Don't blow it." With that Tony walked back to his desk.

Abby looked at Gibbs but knew nothing she said now could make him feel any better. She sadly decided it was time to head back to her lab.

Gibbs watched them go back to work. Ziva was mad, Abby was sad and Tony was a mixture of anger and sadness rolled into one. He, however, was disappointed in himself. He had failed miserably. He had failed Tim. He had failed Hannah and he had failed himself. This is not how he had meant when he had said that they would work something out. Darn it, he dreaded telling this to Hannah. It would devastate her. And Tim, how could he fix this with Tim? Had this ruined things between them? Gibbs was happy but Tim was paying the price for it and that was wrong. What was it Tony said? That Tim had given Gibbs a gift? He sighed. What the hell was he going to do now? He knew one thing he had to do. He got up and started to walk away. "I'll be back." He threw out to no one in particular.

"He is going to talk to Tim." Ziva simply stated.

Tony had to agree with that. "Yeah, probably."

Ziva returned to her files. "It will not solve anything."

This time Tony said nothing.


	27. Chapter 27

They both saw her coming towards them. They looked at each other and then back at her.

Hannah walked quickly into the bullpen and right away she saw Tim's empty desk. "What's going on?"

Tony really didn't feel like answering her knowing it would tear her up.

Ziva got up and walked towards her. "McGee has transferred." She was ready to berate Hannah for what she and Gibbs were doing. She ignored Tony who was now glaring at her from behind Hannah's back.

The words hit her like a ton of bricks. "No, no. I won't let him. Where is he?" This is not how things were supposed to be. Tim will not resign.

"Down in Cyber Crimes." She watched as Hannah almost ran out. Ziva decided to follow her.

Tony just sat there. He did not know what to do. He wanted to help but he was clueless at what to do.

When Gibbs entered he could see that Tim was already getting comfortable. That was wrong. This whole thing was wrong. "McGee." He saw that Tim froze but it only lasted for a second. "Tim." He tried again.

He might as well get this over with. He stood up and turned to face his former boss. "Gibbs."

He had heard contempt said with his name before but until now it was never from someone he cared about. "You didn't have to do this?"

Tim frowned slightly. "Something had to be done. You've been on the team longer so it's only fair you stay."

Gibbs could hear the lie in that sentence. "We can find another way."

"You got any idea because I've tried and found nothing." The fact that Gibbs shoulders sagged a bit told him that Gibbs had tried and failed as well.

"Tony said you had given me a great gift and that I shouldn't blow it." Gibbs waited to see how Tim would react to that.

"Tony does have a point."

"Tim…" How could he possible repay him for this?

"If you don't mind I've got some things to set up." He didn't wait for a reply as he started to work again.

Gibbs knew he had been dismissed. It didn't feel good being on the other end of it. "Tim."

He sighed. Didn't the man get the hint? He stopped and looked up at him. "What?"

"Dislike me. Heck if you need to even hate me." He stopped for a moment to let the words sink in. "Just don't take it out on Hannah." Green eyes seemed to sparkle with anger back at him.

Tim answered with a fierce and low tone. "How I take care of **MY** family is none of your business. We were close long before you and will be close long after." There was a brief satisfaction at seeing Gibbs wince at his words. "Besides Hannah didn't know but you did."

It was such a simple statement that said so much. "I know."

As if on cue the women they were both talking about raced inside in true Abby fashion. "Tim."

Gibbs had to take a step back not to be knocked over by her as she went past him. Did she even know he was there?

She threw her arms around Tim's neck and hugged him for dear life. "What the hell did you do?"

Tim closed his eyes and hugged her. She knew.

Gibbs saw Ziva walking calmly towards them and he glared at her. Ziva had told Hannah about Tim's decision.

Ziva simply stared back at Gibbs. She didn't feel guilty about telling Hannah what Tim had done.

Hannah drew back and placed her hands on either side of Tim's face. "Tim, you will not do this. I won't let you. I'll stop seeing Gibbs."

Gibbs wanted to grab a hold of her and tell her no. He didn't want to stop seeing her. He didn't want Tim to transfer either but damn it he wanted to keep Hannah in his life. She was becoming more and more important to him. He looked towards Tim and again hoped for something Tim shouldn't really have to do.

Ziva couldn't help but to be a little surprised by Hannah's words and her anger toward the other woman ebbed out somewhat. Clearly both Tim and Hannah would make sacrifices for each other. It touched her.

Tim sighed as he brought her hands down. "I just want you to be happy."

"And I want the same for you. This is not what I want for you." She was going to say more but Tim interrupted her.

"It's done." He said simply.

"Tim….." She tried again.

Ziva looked back at Gibbs. "Perhaps we should leave them alone, yes?"

He didn't want to leave but he knew Ziva was right. He started to walk away without looking back knowing Hannah was still focused on her brother.

Ziva gave a soft smile to Tim and then walked away.

Considering all the visitors Tim was glad no one had shown up for work yet but they were due to come in soon. "Hannah I have to work." He could see tears forming in her eyes and he hated to see her cry. She had cried too much in her life already.

"Please, Tim. Don't do this. You've done so much for me already. This is not fair." She tried composing herself but she was losing the battle.

He pulled up a chair and drew her to sit down. He pulled up another and seated himself next to her. "We both have done a lot for each other. Look Hannah, you do deserve to be happy and this is my choice. I am not going back on it."

She gulped. "Have I destroyed us?"

He smiled at her then remembering Abby telling him of Hannah's fears. "No, you could never do that."

She took comfort in that smile. "Have I destroyed you and Gibbs?"

He sighed as he thought of the words to say. "No, you couldn't do that. Gibbs did that."

That scared her. She knew her feelings for Gibbs were getting stronger each day so the fact that Tim felt this way was not good. She had expected something but nothing like this. "But you can't blame him and not blame me at all? We are both in this together."

"Yeah but Gibbs knew how this might affect things and you didn't." He shrugged.

"I have to admit I knew that it might cause some problems. I just didn't realize at to what extent." She hated this and wished she could change things.

He didn't know what to say. He looked up at the clock. He needed to get her out of there. "Look my new coworkers are bound to show up any minute. You need to go."

"Ok." She stood up as he did the same. "Can't you come by after work so we can talk?"

"If I can, I don't know if I have time." He put away the chair she had used. "If I can I will call first." He really didn't want to show up and run into Gibbs.

She nodded feeling guilty about this whole mess. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I love you Tim. Always have and always will."

Hannah would always say those words when they were needed. "Always have and always will." He repeated into her ear.


	28. Chapter 28

He walked into autopsy and saw his friend sitting by the desk. "Ducky you got a moment?"

The ME looked up and smiled. "Yes, do come in.'"

Gibbs hesitated as he looked over at Palmer hoping Ducky would get the message. As it turned out he didn't have to because Palmer got the message just fine himself.

"I'll just…. Go and… I'll be back." Jimmy walked past Gibbs who seemed give him a barely there smile. He was seeing things right? Gibbs didn't just smile at him.

"What can I do for my friend?" Ducky waited as the other man took a few steps closer.

"McGee has requested a transfer." He blurted out not knowing quite where to begin.

Ducky was truly dumfounded. "What? Why on earth would he do that?"

Gibbs grabbed a chair and sat down. He leaned forward and clasped his hands together while his elbows were resting on his knees. "It's a conflict of interest. I'm seeing his sister."

"I see." This was news to Ducky. He had thought he had seen a small change in Jethro but he had not been able to understand where that change had come from. "That was noble of him."

"He shouldn't have done that." Gibbs was at a loss. "I feel like I have ruined everything. I've ruined things between McGee and me. Surely it will affect me and Hannah too." He took a deep breath. "And it is affecting their relationship."

Ducky could see the turmoil he was going through. "You can't really do much about that now. What is done is done I'm afraid."

Gibbs nodded knowing his friend was right. "I wish I could fix it though."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. Tim always talks highly of his sister and I may not have spent too much time with her but I do know she thinks just as highly of him. They will be alright. I'm sure you and Hannah will be too." He paused not sure if he really needed to say the next words out loud. "As for you and Timothy we can only wait and see."

Gibbs knew Ducky was right, again. His relationship with Tim had always been more complicated than the ones he had with the rest of the team. He didn't know why. It was just the way it always had been. "You know when Hannah found out that Tim had transferred she told him she would stop seeing me."

Ducky understood what he was getting at. "You didn't take that well I suppose?"

"I don't want to stop seeing her. She… she's come to mean a lot to me already." Gibbs lips quirked upwards. "I don't know Duck, usually I tend to take my time with a woman but with her it just feels so right."

"You do seem quite taken with her."

A short laughter escaped his lips. "Yeah." It died rather quickly though as Tim's words came back in to his mind. "Tim doesn't think it will last. I hope he is wrong but I can't hold it against him for thinking like that."

Ducky was again at a loss. "Why do you say that?"

Gibbs kept wringing his hands together. "I was foolish to say he could dislike and even hate me if he needed to but not to hold it against his sister. He took it as in insult on how to handle his own family."

Ducky shook his head sadly. If there was one thing one could say about Timothy McGee it was that the young man always cared and would care for his sister. "Well it wasn't very bright of you to say that now was it?"

Gibbs unclasped his hand and sat up straight. "No, it wasn't."

This was indeed a mess and by the looks of it did not look it was going to be fixed any time soon. "How did he respond to that?"

He hated to repeat the words that had hit him so hard. "His exact words were 'How I take care of **MY** family is none of your business. We were close long before you and will be close long after.' So yeah, he doesn't think me and Hannah will last."

Ducky could see that his friend was torn in two directions if not more. Others might not notice that in Jethro Gibbs but Ducky did. "Well it is rather early to tell but also Timothy did transfer and I doubt he would have done that on a simple whim."

That made Gibbs smile a bit. That was true. McGee always seemed to calculate everything before making a decision. "So how do I fix this? How can I? My Team is broken because of what I have done."

Ducky thought of it for a few seconds. "I do wish I could help you but I don't think you can fix this. Think of it as an opportunity. I mean that is what Timothy has given you."

Gibbs ran his hand over his hair. "Dinozzo said McGee had given me a great gift."

Ducky chuckled and nodded. "That's an even better way of putting it." He turned serous right away and patted his friend on his knee. "Tell me, if it works out between you and Hanna what then?"

Gibbs didn't know how to respond to that. It had been on his mind but he really didn't know. If he and Hannah did last then how would that affect all three of them? Would Tim ever accept Gibbs being with Hannah? "I don't know."

Ducky sighed knowing this was an uphill battle a head for them all. "If this thing between you and Hannah is meant to be then things will work out."

"I wish I had your faith Duck." He stood up and looked around. What for? He did not know.

Ducky stood as well. "Faith can go a long way Jethro."

His eyes came back to rest on Ducky. "Never been much of a believer you know that."

He knew it all too well. "Then perhaps this is a good time to start believing."


	29. Chapter 29

Standing outside her apartment Gibbs wasn't sure if he should even be there. He had not heard from Hannah all day and after that disastrous meeting with McGee where she had ignored him he wasn't sure if Hannah wanted to see him right now. He put those thoughts aside and knocked on the door. As he waited he thought about the day that had passed. Abby was still sad but hopeful that Gibbs would fix it. He really wished he could but there was nothing he could think of to fix it. Ziva was cold towards him but she didn't let it interfere with her job. Tony was not happy but still didn't seem to take it out on him. If he did he was hiding it better than Ziva. Gibbs knew he really had screwed up this time. Having no patience he used the key he had received once when staying over and she had to go to work. He opened the door and walked inside. Once in he waited a little. Should he really do this? Maybe Hannah needed some time alone. No, he needed to know where he stood. He walked inside and found her lying on the couch. He couldn't help but to smile as he watched her. A smile that soon vanished when she started to move and he noticed she looked distressed. He walked closer and heard something.

"No.. Go away."

He froze. Was she talking to him? He waited and saw she was still sleeping. He sighed as he realized she was having a bad dream again. He thought about waking her when her cellphone rang. He saw her body stiffen and soon her eyes were open. She blinked as she reached out for her phone that was on the table next to her. With rather quick but still hazily movements she yanked open the phone.

"McGee."

She sat up and with her other hand rubbed her somewhat tired eyes. He wondered how long until she would notice him?

"No and I've keep telling you no. Stop calling me."

Her voice was angry and he really wanted to know who was on the phone with her. Her face had changed from sleepy to upset in seconds.

"I mean it. Stop calling me or I'll send Agent Gibbs on you."

She looked up at him then and gave him a quick smile. He couldn't help but to smile back as he took a seat on one of the chairs. It would seem that Hannah was ok with him being there.

She flipped her phone shut and leaned back into the couch. She waited… 4..3..2..1…

He had to know. "Who was on the phone?"

And there it was. "It was just Detective Moran."

He really looked at her then. This wasn't something he had known about and it didn't sit well with him at all. "He's been calling you and you didn't tell me?"

"No, I didn't tell you. I have not agreed to see Davenport again so I figured I didn't need to say anything." This was the least of her problems right now.

"Ok, as long as it stays that way." He waited for her to start talking about what really was on both their minds.

Her tired mind could not come up with how he got inside. "How did you get in?"

He waved with the key in his hand. "You want it back?"

Ah, yes. Now she remembered. "No, you keep it." She sat up and placed her phone on the table. "Please tell me that when you said we would work something out that Tim's transfer was not something that was on your mind?"

That he could answer truthfully. "No."

She knew he was telling the truth. "What a mess."

"How did it go with Tim this morning?"

"I don't know. He doesn't seem to upset with me." She turned and looked at him. "Just with you and that isn't really fair since I'm too blame too."

He reached out and took one of her hands in his. "Let him be mad at me. Better me then you."

She squeezed his hand. Suddenly her phone rang again. It was opened in seconds. "McGee."

He turned her hand over and stroked her palm with his thumb.

"Ok, see you in a few." She closed her phone. "Tim is coming over."

He knew where this was going. "And you want me to leave?" He didn't get an answer but her face said it all. He released her hand to lean in and give her a small kiss. When she responded he felt much more relaxed. He stood up.

"I'll call you tomorrow." She said and he nodded before walking away.

Yes, this was indeed a mess. What was she going to do?

Gibbs closed the door behind him and wondered if this was how things were going to be. For him to leave every time Tim would come by. It worried him. If he and Hannah stayed together just how would things work out? He was really worried. How could they split Hannah between them? Would she accept a life where her brother and he weren't in the same room?

Hannah hated that Tim felt the need to call now. He usually never did that. Well, at least he was coming by for a visit. Something she had not even dared to hope he would do this evening.

There was a knock on the door. She got up and hurried over to the door. Opening it she was very happy to see her brother there. "Hi, Tim."

He could see how tired she was. "You had busy day at work?"

"Yes. Come in." He passed her and she closed the door behind him. "More importantly, how was your day?"

"Not bad." He said as he moved into the living room and sat down.

As she joined him she wasn't really sure of what to say. There was an uncomfortable silence that she hated. Was this the way it was going to be between them? She hoped not. "You have to know this is not how I wanted things."

He knew she meant it but he still needed to ask. "How did you think things would be?" It wasn't how he wanted things either but what else could be done?

She sighed in defeat. "I.. I don't know. I figured you might not like it but I just didn't think it would be this bad." She saw him nod and focus on something on the wall behind her. She really didn't want to ask but if it would help things she would do it. "If I stop seeing Gibbs, would it help things?"

He shook his head. "No. What's done is done."

She knew what he was really saying. "You mean the damage is already done." When he didn't answer she pressed on. "Things aren't the same between us Tim. Will it ever be again?"

No matter what he had always been honest with her. "I don't know."

It broke her heart hearing him say those words. It wasn't what she wanted to hear but at least it was the truth. Something she always got from her brother. She knew better then to press on about him and Gibbs. "You think you'll like it in Cyber Crimes?"

He thought about it. "It's not going to be the same but I knew that. It's only temporary."

"So, you might end up somewhere else?" She wasn't sure she wanted an answer to her next question. "Are you thinking of moving?"

"Not at the moment but who knows."

She gritted her teeth at that. One of main reasons she had moved to Washington was to be closer to him. She hoped to God he wouldn't move and if he had to that it wouldn't be too far away.

He didn't regret coming here and talking to her. Despite having seen Gibbs as the older man had left her apartment. He knew the chance might be there but the fact that his former boss had left right after his phone call meant that Hannah had asked him to leave. That meant a lot to him. She was trying to help in her own way.

"You want to stay for dinner?"

"Sure but Gibbs is probably getting uncomfortable by now." When he saw her confused look he went on. "I saw him before. He had not gotten far and by now he is probably sitting in his car waiting for me to leave."

Hannah frowned. Would he really do that? "He wouldn't do that. He knows I want to spend time with you."

"10 bucks says he is." He took her phone from the table and tossed it to her. "Try calling him."

She caught the phone. "You're on." Dialing she was hoping he was wrong.

"_Hey."_

"Please tell me you are not still outside my apartment?"

"_Would it make a difference?"_

Darn it, Tim had been right. "You just cost me 10 bucks." She then noticed that Tim was leaning closer to her.

"_I did what?"_

"I'll just leave." He whispered and was surprised when she pointed back to the chair and glared at him. So he sat back down and waited.

"It's nothing. Go home. I'm going to spend the evening with Tim."

"_Yeah, Ok."_

She could hear that he was not real happy with the idea. "Goodnight."

"_Goodnight." _

She closed the phone. "I owe you 10 bucks." Seeing Tim smirk she had to ask. "How did you know?"

He shrugged. "I've worked with him for a while now. One tends to pick things up. What Gibbs want, Gibbs get. It's as simple as that. So, want to order take out?"


	30. Chapter 30

**It's been a while. Hope you guys are still with me and enjoying this. **

**To literatefool for everything she does,****Thank you!**

'''''''''''''''

They were laughing but it was a strained laughter. The laughter still no doubt carried on to the ears of several of the other patrons in the restaurant.

Tony checked his watch. His date had said that she would call when she was ready to be picked up. Why did it seem that it was taking forever?

Abby patted his shoulder when she saw what he was doing. "Are you nervous about your date Tony?"

He looked up abruptly and gave her a huge smile. "Me, I'm never nervous." When Ziva scoffed he looked over at her but decided to ignore it.

"Sure, whatever you say." The doubt in Abby's voice could clearly be heard. "I'll be back." She said as she got up and headed towards the restroom.

It gave Ziva a perfect opportunity to talk to Tony. She needed to talk to Abby alone too but she wasn't sure if she would get the opportunity tonight. Talking to the both of them together was not an option as she knew they would both gang up on her if need be. "So, you like that Hannah and Gibbs are together?"

He eyed her suspiciously. From the moment she had arrived she had been somewhat tense. He had not forgotten how she had behaved at work. Clearly she was opposed to Gibbs being with Hannah. "I suppose so. Why?"

"I find it strange that you would not consider the cost to McGee?" She had not meant to make her voice sound so hostile. However it might just serve its purpose.

Tony sat down his glass as he watched the liquid swirl a bit. "I didn't say that I liked that he will transfer or that he felt that he had to. I know things are weird and believe me, I would love to have Tim back on the team." He sighed deeply at the thought. Of course he would love to have Probie back.

She had not missed the tint of sadness that had crept in as he had spoken. "But you still approve of Hannah and Gibbs, yes?"

"Yes, ok yes. Why not? They both deserve to be happy and haven't you noticed the change in Gibbs?" He spat back at her in annoyance. He understood she was angry but couldn't she see that he wasn't exactly happy with the situation himself? At least not with the Tim transfer part of the situation.

She had noticed it and it was a nice change. Still her heart ached for Tim. "It's unfair to McGee."

He was starting to get mad now. Did she really not get it? "Yes, I know. Damn it Ziva, you don't have to tell me that. I already feel bad enough as it is."

She looked at him and wondered if he was telling the truth. She decided he wouldn't lie about something like this. It was too important. "I suppose this mean we will get a new team member?" Her voice was lower now and more sad then angry.

It was funny how he felt all drained out all of a sudden. "I suppose so."

Ziva took her glass and downed the rest of the liquid. It felt bitter somehow. "I would like to be happy for them."

Tony's eyes snapped back to her. Had she actually just said what he thought she had said? There was a look on her face he couldn't quite place. He waited for her to continue.

"Hannah is a very decent person just like her brother. Gibbs is, well he is Gibbs." That had come out wrong. Still she knew Tony would understand.

That made Tony laugh. It was short and abrupt but it was there.

It made Ziva feel a little more at ease hearing his laughter. "However, I do feel terrible for McGee. Cannot help but to wonder what it will cost him in the end."

Tony really hoped that it would not cost Tim anything else. It had already cost him too much. Tony knew she would believe him when he spoke the next words. "We all feel terrible for him Ziva."

She knew he was speaking the truth as she nodded at him. They all felt for him but some were more forgiving then others. Some also received more forgiveness then they deserved.

A black pigtailed lady bounced back to the table and sat down. It did not take long for her to notice the somber mood. "What are you guys talking about?" Somehow she didn't feel she had to ask.

Tony looked at her and smiled slightly. "It's nothing Abs, absolutely nothing."

Abby looked over at Ziva who did not say or reveal anything. That woman was so hard to read it was annoying. "Right, Tim just phoned and he just left Hannah's place to go home. He told me he will have to join us another time."

Ziva couldn't help but to ask. "How did he sound?" She really wished she could have seen him tonight but could hardly blame him for not wanting to join them.

Abby had expected that she would ask. "Tired but he seemed fine. He said he had a good evening with Hannah."

Tony really hoped that was the case. His cellphone rang and he flipped it opened. "Dinozzo." A few seconds passed. "I'm on my way." Tony shut his phone. "Ladies, it's been fun but I have to go. It is time for my date." He stood up. "Have a nice weekend." With those words he walked away.

Abby's eyes returned back to Ziva. "So, what were you talking about? I really do not have to ask right?"

Ziva couldn't help but to smirk. "McGee."

Yep, she knew it. Better get this over with. She knew Ziva well enough to know she had wanted to talk about this for a while now. "You don't like Gibbs and Hannah together, right?"

She was never one to shy away from honesty and she was not about to start now. "Not at the expense of McGee."

Abby did not like the tone she heard from Ziva. Although she had to admit she had expected something like it. "They will work it out. Gibbs will fix it."

Ziva snorted. "You always have such faith in him. Gibbs cannot fix everything."

Abby did not like the way this was going. "He has never let me down. He won't let Tim down." It was rather unsettling to Abby how Ziva then narrowed her eyes and her lips seemed to strain in to a thin line.

"He already has."

Those words hit Abby where it hurt. She could not deny that Ziva had a point. She wouldn't give in though. "Is it wrong for me to want everyone to be happy?" She quickly looked around to see if her raised voice had been heard. Just a few looks her way. Oh who cares? She looked back at Ziva.

"No, it's not." She thought of what to say next but came up with nothing.

Abby took a small sip of her drink. "Besides it's good for Gibbs to have someone to watch out for and for someone to watch out for him as well."

Now Ziva knew exactly what to say. "Who is watching out for McGee?"

Again Abby was really hurt by those words. "I know you don't believe me but Hannah has always looked out for him and always will."

"What if she stays with Gibbs? She might not be able to be there for both of them." As Abby said nothing in response Ziva thought back to the moment where Hannah had told Tim she would stop seeing Gibbs. "You know when Hannah found out what McGee had done she told him she would stop seeing Gibbs."

"She did? Wow." Abby could understand that Hannah would do something like that for Tim. However, it made her sad to think that might happen now when Gibbs finally seemed to be happy. Although she knew Gibbs well enough to know he wouldn't like it and probably do anything to stop it from happening. This was sad on so many levels.

"Of course we both know Gibbs would not let that happen." Ziva added knowing Abby was thinking the very same thing.

Abby was getting tired of her attitude. "Ziva, you have to stop being so angry at Gibbs. This is not how he wanted things to be."

"We both know it. I am just stating it. McGee has had his life changed for Gibbs' sake and that is not right." She waited to see how Abby would respond to that.

Abby sighed sadly. "No, it's not. I don't like it either Ziva but I am not going to be mad at Gibbs for falling in love." The last words were louder then she had intended them to be.

Ziva had to admit that Abby had a good point. However she knew herself well enough to know that it might take some time for her feelings about this and Gibbs to change. A part of her was mad at Hannah too but she knew the guiltiest party here was Gibbs. He knew the consequences. If Hannah did not know them then she doubted that Gibbs had told her.


	31. Chapter 31

**I hope you still like this one since you have gotten so quiet. If you like, dislike, have ideas or suggestions then please review! It only takes a moment. My inspiration craves it.**

**To dg101: You're so sweet for all your kind words.**

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As Gibbs waited for the elevator to reach Abby's lab he thought back to the day before. He really wished he could have seen Hannah once more before he went home but Tim did stay a while. That phone call? Had Tim seen him? Was that Why Hannah asked about him still being outside her apartment? He couldn't help but to wonder what the two of them had talked about. It worried him a bit. Was there a possibility that Tim would talk Hannah out of being in the relationship? He hoped not.

The doors opened and he abandoned his train of thoughts as he walked towards the familiar black haired figure. "What ya got Abs?"

Abby twirled around and shook her head. Ok, now is not the time to back down. "Nothing yet but now that you are here there is something I need to talk to you about."

He looked at her and sighed. He knew what that meant. "McGee?"

A big smiled graced her bright red lips. "Yes, how do we fix this?"

He put the Caf-pow down next to her avoiding eye contact. "I can't fix this."

That she didn't want to hear. "Come on Gibbs. You can fix everything."

This time he locked eyes with her hoping she would get the message. "Not this time Abs." He was both relieved and sad when her smile vanished.

"You sound like Ziva." She turned and faced her spectrometer. "She is mad at you."

"I know." He knew it was coming. At any moment Ziva would want to talk to him about all this. He had seen it in her eyes.

Abby did not like his defeated tone. "I'm not."

Granted he and Abby were close but Abby was also very close with Tim. She was also someone who didn't hesitate to defend Tim at any cost. "Why not?"

That caught her off guard and as she turned to face him once more she was sure her face showed it too. "Did you just ask me why not?"

Gibbs nodded at her. "You're close to McGee. Why aren't you more upset with me?"

She tilted her head sideways. "Gibbs, how can I be mad at you for falling in love?"

It was said with such tenderness that it really touched him. He smiled at her.

She straightened and eyed him closely. "I mean you are in love aren't you?"

A small laugh escaped his lips. "Yeah, I am." He paused briefly before continuing. "I just haven't told her yet." He whispered hoping she had not heard him.

Abby pursed her lips together. "And why haven't you told her?" It took her only a second to come up with a possible answer to why he had not told Hannah how he truly felt about her. "You think she doesn't love you back?"

He did think Hannah loved him. Well at least he hoped she did but why had he not told her? He knew why. "I'm not good with these things besides the timing hasn't been right. A lot is going on right now and I don't want to pressure her. I don't want to complicate matters especially when Tim isn't even talking to me anymore."

Abby frowned and slapped him lightly on his shoulder. "You should tell her. She is in the middle of things and she deserves to know where you stand."

"Yeah, you're right." He leaned in and kissed the side of Abby's head. "Thanks Abs." With that he walked out of her lab feeling just a little bit better than he had this morning.

Abby really hated this situation. Wasn't there anything she could do? She decided that there was. She knew Gibbs took the elevator so she headed for the stairs while her mind was going a mile a minute. Gibbs might seem ok but she could tell this was hard on him. It was hard on everybody. Ziva was pissed; Tony was just in the background not sure of what to do and Ducky was trying to help everyone. Tim was hurt but surely he would come around? Then there was Hannah who was caught in the middle. As for herself, she just wanted things back to normal. To be that united family again. She hurried down the stairs and soon was walking through the door.

As she entered the dark basement she shuddered. He shouldn't be working here. She looked around and saw him. She ignored the people watching her as she walked over to him and tapped lightly on his shoulder.

When Tim turned and saw Abby there he gave her a small smile. "Hi Abby." He had a pretty good idea why she was there but he was glad to see her anyway.

She returned the gesture. "Hi Tim. Are you busy? Thought that maybe we could talk." She waited as he looked back at his computer to seem to think over if he did have the time to talk to her. She hoped he wasn't going try to avoid her.

"Sure." He stood up and turned to his co-workers. "I'll be back in a few minutes." Nods were directed at him as he and Abby strode away. He really didn't want to talk to her about this but he might as well get it over with.

"So, how are things in Cyber Crimes?" She stopped outside a door and turned towards him.

Was she really going to start with small talk? "Fine but I doubt that's what you wanted to talk about."

"Ok, here's the thing. I know you are hurt right now and you have every right to feel that way but you are not the only one who is hurting or feeling mad or feeling helpless." She took a deep breath before letting him interrupt her. "Tony doesn't know what to do, Ziva is mad, Gibbs is and believe me when I say he is sorry for what this is causing you, I know he is and Hannah torn between the two of you. I suppose going back to the Team is out of the question but can't you fix things with Gibbs?" Even with that extra breath in the middle she felt all winded out.

He sighed sadly. Did she really think things were that easy? He knew this was affecting more than just him, Gibbs and Hannah but he really couldn't do anything about that. Even if he could fix things with Gibbs he really did not want to. "No."

Abby was stunned. It was a hard and defined no that had left Tim's lips. "Never?" Her voice was wavering.

"Abby, you and I can't talk about this. Not about Gibbs anyway. You have this amazing picture of what kind of man he is and I do not share that vision. It's just something that's been building for a while." He put a hand on her shoulder to let her know he still cared about her. "This is out of your hands. I do appreciate you want to try and help but honestly, don't!

She swallowed hard. She had not expected to be the receiver of this cold version of Tim. "Are we good?" She had to ask. After everything she needed to know they were still friends.

"Yeah, we're good." As to prove the point he drew her in for a hug and received the all familiar Abby squeeze back. It was even a bit harder than usual.

"Ok." She drew back and smiled at him. Obviously talking about this right now was not going to work. Maybe in time things would be different. "I'll see you later." She turned and walked away with a heavy heart.


	32. Chapter 32

**Thank You my lovelies.**

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"Gibbs we need to talk."

He looked up. So this was it. He grabbed his coffee, got up and knew Ziva would be right behind him. He walked past Tony who followed them with his eyes. Moments later they were alone and Gibbs sat down by a table. "Ok, talk."

Ziva nodded and began. "You know that I feel that this is unfair to McGee. I feel he has been punished for something that was out of his hands. Does that not matter to you Gibbs?"

He looked at her carefully. Was that really what she thought? "It does matter."

Ziva knew Gibbs could be cold and unmoving but usually that was a well hidden facade. However right now she wasn't so sure if it was. "So you say but do you mean it?"

"Why would I lie?"

"You tell me?"

He didn't say anything right then. If she really believed he was lying to her then there was no point in trying to correct her. She wouldn't believe him anyway but it did matter to him.

She knew she was getting nowhere this way. "You do realize that this is not only affecting you, Tim and Hannah don't you?"

The paper cup was close to his mouth when he halted just for a second before continuing to drink and he narrowed his eyes while looking at her.

She knew that even though the slowness in movement before he drank might seem like he had been surprised by what she had said Ziva knew better. It had occurred to him. "Abby is your strongest supporter but even she is hurting for McGee. Tony does not know what to do or think. He is happy for you but as with Abby he feels bad for McGee. As for me, I think you know where my loyalty in this matter lies, yes?"

He sighed as he thought about it. "Yes." He answered her. The team dynamic was shattered and he had caused it.

It was time to really get down to business. "How do you expect the team to follow your lead when you, as team leader, broke your own rules?"

She was right and he really had no response to that.

She could tell she was getting to him now. "Do you have any idea how disrespectful you've been to McGee as well as to Hannah?"

That he had not foreseen. What was she talking about? "What?"

"You said to Tony that he could tell Tim about your relationship with Hannah? Why did you net tell Tim yourself?" She had a pretty good idea but she actually hoped she was wrong. If she was right it would mean that Gibbs was afraid and that did not fit his character.

"I don't know." The least he could do was to be honest.

He didn't know? She wasn't sure if that was better or worse than him being afraid. "You also got involved with Hannah without telling her of the consequences it might bring."

That was true. He hated to admit it but he was guilty of that. And even though he had caused it he couldn't bring himself to regret it. He regretted Tim's transfer, the tension in the team and many other things but not getting involved with Hannah. "I regret a lot of what has happened, especially what is has caused Tim, but I do not regret being with Hannah."

She wanted to be mad but she could not. She had seen his face when he spoke of Hannah and every time he did it was a look of happiness. Something she had not seen on him before. Not like this. "Gibbs, I do wish you well." She took a small comfort in the slightly surprised face that was now eyeing her suspiciously. "And I hope it does not come down to Hannah having to choose between the two of you. It's hard on everyone as it is."

He really hoped that scenario would never take place. He knew he would loose and he did not want to lose Hannah.

Ziva gave him a small smile as she got up. "Oh and Director Shepard wants to see you." With that she walked away while her thoughts drifted towards her lost team member.

He got up while drinking more coffee and headed out to the bullpen. He heard Tony's voice.

"Everything ok Ziva?"

He heard her reply as he took the stairs.

"It's fine Tony."

At that he glanced backward over to Ziva. He caught her eye and she nodded at him as to reinforce her words. He knew if it all came down on him Ziva would be in Tim's corner against him. He was glad that Tim had someone like her behind him but hope it would not become necessary.

He strode past Cynthia who barely saw him, opened the door and walked inside finding her behind her desk. "You wanted to see me Director?"

Jenny Sheppard got up, stepped out from behind her desk and handed him four folders.

He took them from her and he knew what they were. "That was fast."

"You need a replacement for Agent McGee Jethro." She turned from him and headed back to her desk. "You might want to check so none of them have a sister you might want to get involved with."

He rolled his eyes and stepped closer to her desk. "That was low Jen."

She placed her hands on the desk while staring him down. "As low as what you did to Agent McGee?"

"You make it sound like I planned all this so I would get him to transfer." He was really getting tired of defending himself.

She folded her arms in front of her chest. "There are plenty of women out there Jethro, why his sister?"

He did not say anything. Why should he?

"She's not even a red head." She tried to get some reaction from him but got nothing. She sighed as she sat down. "How serious is this?"

"Why are you interested?" He asked back. "Are you jealous Jen?"

That hurt a bit but she showed no emotion. She was a bit jealous she admitted but only to herself. "I am just wondering since I would hate to have seen McGee take such a drastic action for just a booty call."

He hid a smile as he responded to that one. He needed to respond to that one. "Oh, this is way more than a booty call."

Those were words she didn't really want to hear but she tried not to let it get to her. She knew her past with him was just that, the past. "And it would seem you know what booty call means. I'm impressed."

If she was trying to lighten up the mood she was failing.

She put on her glasses and sat back more into the chair. "This really is beneath you."

"I didn't say I liked the situation." He had thought about it and maybe he could work something out. "Why not bring McGee back on the team and just give me another team to work with?"

Her eyebrows rose at hearing what he suggested. "So now you are willing to make the entire team to pay for your sex life?"

He was starting to get annoyed. That was not how he had meant it at all and he knew that she knew that.

She took a deep breath to control herself. "Is that what you want?"

"No, but neither is this." He waved a little with the folders.

"You should have thought about that before jumping into bed with Hannah McGee." She had nothing against McGee's sister but this whole thing was out of hand.

"Jealousy does not become you Jen." Gibbs said right before he drank some coffee. He was soon out so he hoped this so called meeting wouldn't last much longer so he could get some more.

"You think too much of yourself Jethro." Damn thing was that he was right. "Do you know how hard it is to find a good replacement for McGee due to his background? There are several agencies that are already salivating at the thought of scooping him up."

He wasn't surprised at hearing that. Tim was one of a kind. "I bet."

Jenny went on as she had not heard him. "Also he is much respected here and that is why many have refused to apply for his spot."

That did not really surprise him either. Tim was always willing to help anyone who needed it or to be a shoulder to cry on. He was one of the good guys who could not say no to others and loved to please. Not to mention he was a darn good agent. Gibbs opened the first folder and took a quick look. He closed it just as quickly and threw it at Jenny's desk.

Jenny watched him repeat what he had just done. "You will not like any of them much. They do not have Tim's qualifications by a long shot but those are your choices. Still, I suppose Agent Kerri might be your best bet." She took a pen in her hand. "Just be aware your request might be filed slowly."

He looked back up at her and took back the folder from her her desk. With that he turned and walked away feeling even worse than this morning.


	33. Chapter 33

She flopped down on the couch. Another work day was over and she was glad to be home. She glanced at her phone and thought about calling Tim. She moved and picked up her phone. No, she decided against it and put it back on the table. Wait, she picked it up again. What was she doing? She put it back on the table again. Then suddenly it startled her as it started to ring. She wondered who it could be as she picked it up yet again and flipped it open. She smiled when she saw who it was and she answered. "Great minds think alike."

"_What?" _

She couldn't blame Tim for being confused. "I was thinking about calling you just now."

"_Ah ok, I just wanted to call and well, I didn't mean to leave so abruptly last night."_

He sounded like he was tired. She could hear him trying to stifle yawns between talking. "It's ok. You did stay here for what, three or so hours before so I wouldn't call it abrupt."

"_I just think we should stay away from last night's subject from now on tough."_

There was sadness in her at hearing that but she couldn't say that she was surprised. "I'll try my best that is all I can promise." There was a brief pause before Tim spoke again.

"_Thanks."_

"Ok, well other than that you had a good evening?"

"_Yeah, it was fun. Almost like old times."_

His voice had changed from serious to more of an amused tone. "Glad to hear it. So, what are you up to tonight then?"

"_I am so tired I am just going to relax in front of the TV. Probably fall asleep in front of it too."_

Another yawn escaped his lips. "You had a rough day?"

"_A lot of information at once that I needed to process. And then there will be even more tomorrow."_

She couldn't help but to chuckle. "And this from the guy who rewrote the manual-twice." She heard him laugh and that made her happy.

Suddenly there was a knock on her front door. "Oh, someone is at the door."

"_Gibbs."_

His tone had changed again and it was a sad one this time. "I suppose it could be. We have no plans."

"_It's him. Ten bucks?"_

There was an eagerness in his voice now and she couldn't help but to play along. "You're on." She got up as there was another knock on the door. "I'm coming." She yelled out before she spoke in to the phone again. "You might be right. Sounds like whoever it is has no patience." That earned her another laugh from him. She unlocked the door and opened it to reveal Gibbs.

He couldn't help but to smile when he saw her as he realized he had longed for her all day. When he noticed she was on the phone he didn't say anything.

"That's another score for you." She said into the phone.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow at her wondering what she was referring to.

"_Yeah, well I'm beat. Good night Hannah."_

"Good night Tim." She flipped the phone shut.

She'd been talking to McGee. She did not seem to be annoyed at the interruption but he couldn't help but to feel he might have arrived at a bad time. "Did I interrupt anything`?"

"No, come on in." She turned and heard him close the door behind him. Once in the living room she sat down on the couch again.

He took a seat next to her. "I missed you." And then he proceeded to nuzzle her neck.

She giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's not even been a day."

He drew back to look at her. "That's to long for me." He moved in again and kissed her roughly.

She responded with an equally strong passion. She felt him bite her lower lip lightly and soon they were both lying down on the couch touching everywhere.

He stopped kissing her and brushed some hair away from her face. This was it. A perfect opportunity for him to tell her how he really felt about her. He gazed into her lovely blue eyes and spoke straight from the heart. "I love you."

She blinked. Did he just..? She didn't dare to think he actually had. "What did you just say?" She whispered.

He grasped her hands with his and drew her back to sit up with him. He wrapped an arm around her and brought her close to him again. "I love you." He whispered in to her ear. It felt good to have actually spoken the words. The look on her face was worth any doubts he might have had. He should have known better. He should have said the words to her long ago.

He had actually said it. Those three little words she thought he would have such a hard time get out had now been verbalized and she found she was actually frozen. "I… I…"

He placed a finger on her lips. "You don't have to say anything." He could imagine that it was hard for her to say those words to someone just as it had been for him. She had had a rocky past with horrible men in it so if it took her a while to make sure how she felt about him then he would give that to her.

She nodded with his finger still on her lips and when he removed it she smiled at him. She was lost in his eyes and she still found she couldn't say anything.

He decided to change the subject. "How is Tim?"

She shook her head as to awaken herself from her slumber. "Good, tired but good."

He nodded. "How were things last night?"

She frowned a bit. "Not bad."

He wondered what that meant. "Not bad?"

"It's nothing, really." She tried to look away but knew it would do no good.

Now he was really curious. He brought up a hand and turned her head to face him. "Tell me."

"Oh, it was fine until, well until we started to talk about you." There it was out. She saw the quick flash of sadness across his face.

Gibbs wished he could change things or do something to make Tim see things differently. Yet he couldn't really blame the younger man either. "He is not going to accept me in your life is he?"

"He has more or less accepted it already. He just, he just doesn't want to be around you or even talk about you." She placed a hand over one of his. "We got into a small argument over it and he left." She squeezed Gibbs' hand. "Today when he called he just said we should avoid talking about you."

He knew Tim was not willing to talk to him directly so much anymore. Unanswered phone calls and left messages had told him that but to not even want to talk about him to his sister; he supposed he should have seen it coming. "How do we make this work, if he won't even talk about me?"

"I really don't know. I wish I knew what to do. I hate seeing him like this and to know that I had a hand in it." She was frustrated at the thought of how hurt Tim was by this whole situation.

"Not as much as I did." Ziva's words echoed in his mind. **'You also got involved with Hannah without telling her of the consequences it might bring.' **He sure had and now he regretted it terrible. "If I had told you what it would have meant to become involved with me what would you have done?"

She thought about it for a moment. She wished she could say that she would have stayed away from him but she knew it would be a lie. "I would have resisted more but in the end I think I would have ended up here anyway."

He was glad to hear it but at the same time he was not. "I should have told you but I was selfish."

She didn't know how to respond to that.

"You'll think I'll have a chance of talking to him or will he just walk away?" He had to find some way to make things right.

"Right now I do not think he'll even listen to you. You should give it some time." She wasn't sure if that would help though. All she could think of was how was things going to work out if this lasted?

He could tell what she was thinking. "I never meant for you to be caught in the middle."

"I know." She placed her head on his shoulder as she felt him hold on to her even tighter.

"I wish I could make things better." He spoke softly to her.

She didn't respond as she closed her eyes while he caressed her arm. She felt a small kiss on her head. She sighed deeply in content. "I love you." She had not meant to say it yet but it came out and felt like the most natural thing in the world. She felt him relax even more now. She cracked one eye open and tilted her head to look at him. He was grinning.

He turned slightly and saw her looking at him. "You didn't have to say that yet."

"It's how I feel." She responded to him as she closed her eye again and settled back into him.

He didn't doubt her. He loved her and she loved him. He could handle anything the world would throw at him now. With her by his side he would.


	34. Chapter 34

Abby was happy that she had been able to pull it off. As she gazed out over the living room she spotted the birthday boy smiling and laughing. It made her happy to see Tim like that. She watched as he joked with Tony and Ziva. She spotted Ducky talking to Tony's date, what was her name again? It would come to her. Ah and there were Palmer and his date. She saw Hannah walking up to her and as the other woman passed her Abby followed in next to her. "Thanks for all your help with the party."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Hannah smiled at her as they headed into the kitchen.

"I just thought, perhaps you would want to do it this year since you live closer now but with the whole thing going on I thought maybe also you might not want to. I mean things have been a bit…"

Hannah stopped and turned to her placing her hands on Abby's arms. "Abby, breathe. It's fine. I know how you love to do these things and I was happy to help you."

Abby beamed at her and threw her arms around Hannah to give her a big hug. "So, how are you really doing?"

Hanna returned the embrace. "I'm good."

Abby tightened her hug. "Tim is not letting up." She withdrew but kept her hands on Hannah's arms. "I thought as time went by he would."

Hannah removed Abby's hands and went to the sink. "It hasn't been that long Abby."

"I know but still." She sighed as she watched Hannah rinse her plate. "When I told Tim that Gibbs had wished him Happy Birthday he just, well said and did nothing really."

"I know." The weeks that had passed had been different to say the least.

As if on cue Tim walked into the kitchen. "Why are you hiding in here?"

"Not hiding, just talking." Abby smiled at him and gave him a quick hug before returning to the living room.

Tim looked over to where his sister was washing some dishes. "I'm sure I can guess what you were talking about."

Hannah stopped what she was doing and turned to him. "And you would be right." She took a towel and dried a plate with it. "How have you liked your birthday so far?"

"I'm having a good time." He really was. He was enjoying spending time with all of them. Well, almost all of them. "Tony's date seems nice."

"Yeah, she does." Hannah had to agree on that one. "He seems really into her too."

"It does seem like everyone is having a good time." He paused briefly while waiting for her too look at him again. When she did and smiled he spoke. "Thanks for this."

She blinked not sure what he was referring to. "You mean the party? That was Abby's doing. I only helped."

He laughed slightly. "No, I meant for not making it difficult."

She sighed as she put the towel down as she clearly knew what he was referring too. "Well, Abby did invite him. Under the circumstances, he felt he shouldn't come. The hard part was convincing Abby of that."

"I can imagine. Then thanks for convincing Abby." He walked over and placed a small kiss on her cheek.

"And that was no easy task let me tell you." She poked him in his stomach as he chuckled.

"You have to teach me how you did it." He reached over her head and brought out a glass. Hannah took it from him, poured some water in to it and handed it back to him. He drank it all in one fast motion. "Then again it's a moot point. He usually never shows up for any of our birthday parties and if he does he doesn't stay long."

She remembered that Gibbs had told her something similar. "Did you like your presents?"

"Yes, especially that book you gave me. How did you ever find a First Edition?" He had looked for a copy for a long time and getting it from her meant that he would treasure it even more.

"I have my ways." She really wanted to tell him that Gibbs had helped her with that one but was wise enough not to mention it. "So will we ever see you in that t-shirt that Abby got you?"

"Who knows?" It wasn't really his style to wear a t-shirt with a big skull and flames coming out of the eye sockets. He could use it at home and it was from Abby. At least she had got him something else that was more him.

Hannah stepped up to him and started to shush him out towards the living room. "Go back out there now and have fun."

He laughed again. "Ok, ok"

He walked back to the couch and sat down next to Abby who linked her arm with his. He smiled at her as she did the same.

Hannah enjoyed seeing her brother so content. She wished it could always be like that. She turned back to do more dishes when she heard her cell phone ring. She walked over to the kitchen table and opened her purse. She took out her phone to see who it was. She should have guessed. She smiled slightly as she opened her phone. "Hi you."

"_Hello yourself. I know I shouldn't have called but wanted to hear your voice."_

"It's fine. I'm surprised that you did not call until now."

"_How is the party?"_

"It's a great success." She glanced out to the living room to make sure Tim was nowhere near. "He really loved the book. Thank you for your help."

"_Glad I could help."_

She took a deep breath and blew it out her nose. "I wish I could tell him that."

"_Better not."_

She didn't say anything to that. Neither did she notice Ducky that was now standing in the doorway.

"_I'll let you go and enjoy the party. Call me when you get home."_

"I will. Love you." It was so easy to say those words now and they rang true every time.

"_Love you too."_

She hung up the phone and put it back in her purse. She decided to wash some more dishes. She did not get far until she heard someone clear his throat. She turned and saw Ducky. "Oh, Hi Ducky."

She had turned around rather quickly and for a brief second he actually thought she might fall. "I did not mean to startle you my dear."

"You didn't." She couldn't help but to wonder. "How long have you been standing there?"

He had not meant to eaves drop but he couldn't help but to have overheard the last of her side of the conversation. "You talked to Jethro I take it?"

"Yeah." She started to clean the dishes again.

He walked up to stand next to her. "You know I cannot remember when I have seen him this happy. Even with his ex-wife's he's never been like this. You are good for him."

She tilted her head to look at him. "That's very sweet of you to say so."

"I mean it. It's just too bad that things have to be this way between Jethro and Timothy." He knew very well that trying to push the subject with either man would not do any good. It was better to let things unfold by themselves. It would work better that way. At least he hoped so.

She nodded as she felt him pat her gently on her back before heading back out to the living room. When he got back he saw Tony making some face that seemed to have everyone laughing hysterically. Except for Jimmy and his lady that seemed to be busy themselves in a deep conversation. He chuckled as he walked over to the group.

Tim looked out over the room of people. He was really enjoying this. He watched as Ducky got seated again. Good old Ducky. There were few of his kind around. Abby giggled next to him and he briefly wondered what joke he had missed now. He noticed Ziva looking at him and he smiled at her. She returned the smile and raised her glass a little. Ziva had really been an amazing friend lately and for that he was grateful. He knew everyone supported him in their own way but Ziva was different. She was not afraid to let anyone know just how she felt about the whole thing and that she blamed Gibbs for it. She was direct and honest as always. He never would have believed that she would ever be on his side against his former boss but here they were. He appreciated everyone but his respect and admiration for Ziva had increased since this mess had started. He was glad she was on his side.

His thoughts drifted to Hannah. He wondered just how they would fare in the long run if this relationship with Gibbs turned out to be more of a permanent thing. Make no mistake, if that was to be the case Tim would make sure Gibbs be aware of a few things that were on his mind. Things that needed to be addressed but for now he didn't even want to think about it. He had not failed to see the change in Hannah. She was happier then he remembered having seen her in years. The fact that Gibbs was the cause of that did not make him glad but more sad the anything else. It shouldn't feel like that. It really shouldn't' but yet it felt more like something was ending.

"McGee… Tim?"

He snapped out of it and looked over at Tony. He noticed that everyone was looking at him now. Ok, time to let go if these thoughts and start interacting again. "Sorry."

Tony could very well imagine what he was thinking about. "Come on man, get back into party mode." He was going to make sure that Tim enjoyed himself the rest of the evening.

"You ok?" Abby's eyes searched Tim's. They seemed a bit lost.

"I'm fine. Really, I am." He smiled at her and was relieved when she seemed to believe him.

Soon everyone was back to chattering with each other again and this time Tim was very much involved with the chatter as well.


	35. Chapter 35

It was rather surprising how the time had flown by. Seems like only yesterday that it had been his birthday and he was partying over at Abby's place. In reality that had been weeks ago. He watched as Ziva ate some more of her salad. He had spent a great deal of time with her, Tony and even Palmer since he had quit Gibbs' team. He had even made sure to visit Ducky now and then. It's was always nice to see them although sometimes there was those awkward talks about Gibbs. He knew he really couldn't avoid those. He was grateful that Hannah never brought up his name now. God knows he heard it enough as it was and he knew he was going to hear it again. He was about to bring it up himself since he wanted to ask about the newest addition to the team. He took a piece of bread from the basket. "I hear the new agent is pretty good."

Ziva gave him a quick nod. She liked their newest team member. He was no Tim but he was a good guy. "He's ok. It's not like when you were there but that's not his fault."

Tim chewed on his bread. He hoped their new coworker didn't have too much trouble fitting in. It wouldn't be fair to him. "You and Tony aren't being too hard on him are you?"

Ziva shook her head. "No but Gibbs is. You would think he would be nicer since this whole thing is his doing." She took a deep breath to calm down as her voice seemed to become angrier. "I do think Shepard deliberate made us wait for a new agent to annoy Gibbs." This time a small smile appeared on her face. "Still the new guy is taking it all in stride."

"I'm sure it will work out." He really missed working with her and Tony but he had to admit that the coworkers he had now weren't that bad.

"Why are you still in Cyber Crimes Tim? I thought you'd be out of there by now. It's been a while and I know you've had some offers, no?" She laid down her fork and knife on her plate. She could not eat another bite. When he gave her a look she went on. "Abby told me."

"I decided to keep my options open. I do not want to make a permanent decision just yet" He took and drank the last of his water.

She nodded as she leaned back into her chair. "That is a good idea. To take your time so you are sure you will end up at some place that truly deserves you."

It was nice hearing her praise him like that. He found it to be a sweet gesture. "Ziva. Thank you for everything."

Ziva looked back at him. What was he talking about?

"Ever since, you know, you've been a great friend. I mean, .. the others have been great too but you have been especially so. You've really helped me a lot and I just wanted you to know that." He wasn't sure if he had said the right words but it was how he felt.

Ziva was touched by his words. Not that he had needed to say them in the first place but they were nice to hear. "I'm glad I could be of help to you." She smiled at him and he smiled back. She liked his smile. It was rather charming. "So, what are the plans for Hannah's birthday?" She regretted the question when his face turned serious once again.

He folded the napkin and put it on his plate. He was both looking forward to Hannah's birthday and at the same time he was not. "Abby want's to hold a party and you know what that means?"

"Gibbs."

"Yeah."

Ziva sighed. "I would think that Abby would be more sympathetic towards you then him."

He wished that was so but he knew Abby well enough to not expect that. "Well, it is Hannah's birthday so Abby feels Gibbs belongs there. Besides Abby has known Gibbs longer then she has known me."

"That should not matter." Ziva's voice rose a bit and she bit her tongue from saying more.

Neither one of them noticed Gibbs nearing their table. He stopped when he spotted them. Why was he doing this? He needed Ziva back to work and damn Dinozzo just had to run in to an old friend, female at that, outside the restaurant. He took a deep breath and continued on.

Ziva was the first one that saw him. "Gibbs is here." She whispered loud enough for Tim to hear. What was he doing here?

He sat up and braced himself. Great, just what he needed. As he felt someone approach Tim turned and looked at him. "Gibbs."

He really hated how Tim always seemed to have to keep himself in check around him. "McGee." Gibbs looked over at Ziva. This was a bit of déjà vu for him but with different people. Instead of Tony and Hannah it was now Ziva and Tim. "You forgot to charge your phone David?"

Ziva furrowed her brows. She started digging in her purse and brought it out. "No, it's full."

"I tried calling you. We have a case." He kept his eyes at Ziva as she seemed to figure out why her phone had not worked.

"That is weird. No missed calls. Perhaps I need a new one." She put it back in her purse. "Thanks for lunch Tim. We'll do it again soon, yes?"

"Would love to, Ziva." He smiled at her as she made her way around the table. He liked spending time with her.

Gibbs didn't move as his eyes traveled back to rest on Tim. His posture was stiff.

Ziva stopped and turned. She waited just to make sure things did not get out of hand.

"Is there something on your mind?" Tim didn't bother to look back at him but he knew Gibbs had not moved.

Would Tim ever talk to him without sounding like it was the last thing in the word he wanted to do? "Hannah's birthday is coming up. Abby invited me to the party."

Tim closed his eyes. He had really hoped that Abby would have understood this by now. She was still trying to get them to 'fix' things.

Ziva was not happy. What would it take for Abby to understand that she did more damage than good?

"What do you want me to say?" Tim took another piece of bread but instead of eating it he just played it in in his hand.

"I just wanted you to know. I also wanted you to know that Hannah asked me not to come." Gibbs had to admit that he had been a bit disappointed when she had asked him not to show up. Even though he understood it would most likely cause some awkward moments he was still disappointed. It hurt that Hannah had chosen Tim over him but he could understand her. Besides, he knew it must have been hard for Hannah too when she had asked him not to show. It did, he was willing to admit, scare him a bit. He hoped it would never have to come down to Hannah having to choose between them.

Oh yeah, a surprise party for Hannah this year had been out of the question. Tim couldn't help but to smirk though. At least Hannah understood how he felt. "I bet you are not happy with that?"

"Nope." Gibbs answered truthfully. "Should I be?"

Did Gibbs actually think he was behind that? Hannah had a mind of her own and she at least understood the situation. Why couldn't Gibbs? Oh he did understand but he was just so darn stubborn. "Well, I didn't ask her to."

Gibbs was starting to get annoyed. That was not why he brought it up. "That's not what I meant."

Ziva knew Gibbs was getting angry so she took a step closer to him. "Should we not go?"

Gibbs wasn't a fool. He knew what Ziva was doing. "Yeah." He took one last look at Tim. "Take care, Tim." With that he turned and walked away.

Ziva watched as Tim's whole posture slumped a bit. She took another step and placed a hand on his shoulder. She squeezed gently. "Call me if you need anything." She quickly turned to hurry after Gibbs.

Tim tossed the piece of bread away from him. Gibbs didn't like the situation. So what? He didn't like it either but it was the way it was. Tim wasn't stupid. He knew the possibility of Gibbs showing up at Hannah's party anyway was a good one. Still, he would go. He could stay only for a bit and then leave. Why should he start missing her birthday because of him? No, that was not going to happen.


	36. Chapter 36

**Maybe it's because my head has been in the clouds all day but something feels weird with this part. Maybe it's just me.**

''''''''''

The lab was empty when Ziva had arrived but she had time to wait. She did not have to wait for long though until she saw the familiar Goth enter her own lab. She waited until she had been seen. "Abby."

Abby's smile vanished as she heard by the tone of Ziva's voice that this was going to be an unpleasant conversation. "Hi. What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to see how you are handling all this with McGee and Gibbs? It has been going on for a while." She rounded the small table to stand a bit closer to Abby.

A heavy sigh escaped Abby's lips. "I wish it would end. It must be hard for them. It isn't fair."

Ziva mulled the words over in her head. "It's not fair to whom exactly? Do you mean them or you?"

"It's not fair everyone. Tim, Gibbs, Hannah, me, you, Tony.." She was getting upset just thinking about it. Why couldn't they all just get along?

Ziva nodded in understanding. "It isn't fair. And no matter how many times we say it, it isn't going to be fair. But it is how things are, and we have to let them play out. They will talk, or not, when they decide to. We can only be there for them." She paused hoping Abby would take the words to heart.

She thought about what Ziva had said but she also knew just how stubborn the two men could be. They could use a push. Couldn't they?

When Abby didn't say anything Ziva continued. "I want to talk to you about Hannah's birthday party."

That was not what she had been expecting. "What about it?"

"You invited Gibbs. Although I can understand why you would want him there I cannot help but to wonder why did that without discussing it with Hannah first?" She waited as the other woman seemed to guard what she was going to say.

Abby frowned and wondered why that should concern Ziva? "It's Hannah's birthday and Hannah is seeing Gibbs. You do the math. Besides I'm sure Hannah would want him there too."

Ziva crossed her arms in front of her chest. Abby just did not get it or was it that she did not want to. "What does it take for you to stop what you are doing? Tim does not want to spend time with Gibbs and even though Hannah might want Gibbs there she did not invite him or even think of it."

Abby turned her back to Ziva as she started to work on her keyboard. "If they are going to resolve this they have to be in the same room." She answered in a voice that was getting angrier.

Ziva was not intimidated by that voice. "And that might cause problems not to mention ruin the whole evening for everyone. Is that what you wish?" When she received no response she decided to try another approach. "You are being selfish Abby."

Abby's hands stopped and hovered over the keyboard. She turned and glared at Ziva. "What?"

"What is more important? That Hannah has a good party or you forcing people to follow your will? You want Gibbs and McGee to be on good terms again so things can get back to normal. You are upset by this and you want to feel better." She waited until she was sure the words had sunk in. "However, you are missing that neither Tim, Gibbs or Hannah for that matter are pushing the subject. You are the one that is doing that and frankly, you need to stop." There was a brief satisfaction at seeing the slightly shocked face looking back at her. "I am sure Tim has told you this himself, no?"

She didn't want to admit to Ziva that Tim had actually told her to not interfere but she only meant well. Surely they both knew that. "You just want this to go on and on?"

Ziva suppressed a smile. She knew she had gotten to Abby. "No but it is not up to you. I talked to Tim and the thought of Gibbs at the party was not a pleasant one for him."

Abby pursed her lips tight together. "You seem to have gotten awfully close to Tim."

Ziva clearly saw that Abby was showing signs of jealousy. This was not about that. "I want to make sure he knows he is not alone."

She was really getting angry now and spat back. "He knows that."

Ziva shook her head hoping to make her point clear. "He knows you are all torn between him and Gibbs. He knows I am on his side. He needs someone fully on his side."

Abby took a step closer and was now face to face with Ziva. "And I'm not?"

Ziva was not intimidated although Abby could seem quite scary to some people. "Yes, you are on his side. And you are Gibbs' favorite. Do you really think he could talk freely with you about this? He won't ask you to keep confidences from Gibbs, even if you could. And he won't ask you to choose. He won't hurt you like that."

Abby knew Ziva was right but she didn't like it so she stepped back and turned back to her computer. "That was unfair Ziva."

"But necessary." Ziva thought for a moment before speaking again. "Abby, let this go. Someday you might go too far and cause more damage than good. Are you willing to do that just to get things your way?" With those last words Ziva turned and left the lab.

Abby bowed her head. Maybe Ziva was right. Maybe she was doing more damage than good. That was something she definitely did not want to do.

As Ziva stepped into the elevator she hoped her words would get to Abby and that she would stop before things got out of hand. Her thoughts wandered to Tim and she wondered what he was doing at the moment. As she was about to press the button she saw that she had already pressed to go to the basement. She had not even noticed. It did not take long before she was there and as the elevator doors opened she walked briskly to see him. She had been here a few times now so it wasn't unusual when a few hellos were tossed her way and she greeted them in return.

She saw Tim by his computer and approached him. "Tim?" She was pleased that she didn't seem to have startled him.

Hearing his name in that familiar voice he turned to her. "Ziva, what are you doing here?" He had not expected to see her again so soon. He was glad though. It was always nice to see her.

She shrugged her shoulders. She found that she just might be lying when she spoke nest. "Just wanted to see how you were after the run in with Gibbs?"

He smiled at her. "I'm fine. Listen I hate to cut this short but I am waiting for Hannah to call."

There was that smile again she had grown so fond of. She nodded as she understood completely. "I'll see you later then. Call if you need me."

He could not help but to smile at her again. "I will."

Did he know just how much his green eyes lit up when he smiled? "Good." With that she turned to leave.

He watched as she walked away and felt very fortunate to have a friend like her. His phone rang and he picked it up. "Hi Hannah."

"_Hey Tim. Sorry that I couldn't talk before."_

"No problem. Listen, I' not going to take up to much of your time since I know you have a meeting to go to but well…." He really didn't want to say it as he knew it would upset her.

"_What is it?"_

"About your birthday, how about I just stay for an hour or so…" He didn't get a chance to finish as she interrupted him.

"_Wait, why?"_

"Gibbs is not happy that you told him not to come." He heard her sigh before she spoke again.

"_I know that but he just has to suck it up."_

He chuckled a little at that.

"_Wait, you talked to him?"_

He knew she would pick up on that. "He came looking for Ziva when we had lunch. We exchanged a few words. It wasn't much really."

"_Oh ok."_

He could clearly hear her disappointment but hoped that she wouldn't ask more about it. "Well anyway, how about if I stay at the party for a while and then he can show up later? I really don't mind."

"_I don't know."_

"Honestly, I don't mind. Besides I'm sure Abby would be happy to see him too." There was a brief pause before she spoke again.

"_Ok why not? You stay a few hours and then he can show up later in the evening. He can get the left overs."_

He couldn't help but to laugh at that. "Sounds like a plan. I'll talk to you later sis."

"_Are you sure about this?"_

"Yes, I am. Seriously, it's fine. Ok?"

"_Ok. Talk to you later. Bye."_

"Bye."

He hung up the phone hoping this would work. Something told him he was going to see Gibbs that night anyway. Hopefully it would be brief and painless if that was the case.


	37. Chapter 37

Just as with Tim's party she found herself in the kitchen. It was nice to get away from all the chatter a bit and just be alone. Sure she could still hear them from the living room but she could shut that out. She didn't mind doing the dishes as it gave her time to think. She was glad that everyone was enjoying themselves but moments like this just reminded her how big the rift was between the two men in her life. Would it always be like this and if so, could she handle it? Sometimes she felt pulled in both directions and she hated that feeling.

"Why are you in here?"

She almost jumped when Abby's voice echoed through the kitchen. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry." Abby couldn't help but to giggle as she walked over and tried to drag Hannah away from the sink. "It's your party so you should be out there enjoying yourself."

Hannah took a towel to dry her hands. "I just needed some time alone."

Abby's smile disappeared. "You ok?" Hannah had seemed to enjoy the evening so far but now looking at her, she didn't seem to be in such a good mood anymore.

"I'm fine just a little tired." She pulled out a chair and sat down as she watched Abby do the same.

"I wish I could do something." Abby didn't need to ask to know what was on Hannah's mind.

Hannah shook her head sadly. "No, you can't do anything."

"I shouldn't have invited Gibbs should I?" She had avoided talking about it to Hannah but she might as well. "I only meant well."

She knew that Abby's well-meaning sometimes got out of hand. In this situation that was the last thing anyone needed. "I know but we need to leave it alone."

Abby nodded. Tim had told her, Ziva had told her and now Hannah. Maybe there really wasn't anything she could do. Still in her heart she so desperately wanted to do more. She noticed that Tim walked in to the kitchen. "Hey Tim, come and help me convince your sister to go back out there and enjoy the party."

Tim chuckled as he came to stand next to them. "I can try but she can be pretty stubborn."

Hannah simply rolled her eyes at that. Tim could be just as stubborn as her if not more so.

Abby got up and patted Tim on the shoulder. "If anyone can do it you can."

As Abby left the kitchen Tim sat down on the chair Abby had just vacated. "Getting away from all the noise?"

She smiled at him. "Yeah." He did know her so well.

He nodded knowing very well how she felt. "You do look a bit tired."

"I'm ok." She really wasn't but she wouldn't push the subject. She could do this. It was part her doing that his situation occurred in the first place so she would make it through.

They both turned when the doorbell was heard and immediately they looked back at each other.

Tim sighed heavily. He knew who it was. It really could only be one person. Everyone else was here. "Gibbs."

That annoyed her little. That Tim would just automatically assume it was Gibbs. "You don't know that." She looked at her watch. "He isn't supposed to be here for another three hours."

"It's him." He was sure it was him but he wasn't sure why he was there before the agreed time. Was he checking up on something? "Come on, how about 20 bucks?"

There was a glint of mischief in his eyes and she couldn't help but to play along, again. "You're on."

She got up, hurried in to the living room and then proceeded to the door where Abby was already in the process of opening it. As it opened she saw that her brother had been right, again. It was Gibbs and suddenly she was annoyed at herself and at Gibbs for being so early.

"GIBBS!" Abby squealed and hugged him tightly.

He returned Abby's hug but his eyes were on Hannah. She looked pretty mad to see him. That was not good but he had known that there was that possibility.

When Abby withdrew she noticed Gibbs' eyes were located over her shoulder looking at something behind her. She turned and saw Hannah staring back at him. She did not look happy at all.

Tim walked in on the tense scene and simply went to stand behind Hannah leaning with his shoulder against the wall. "Gibbs. A little early aren't you?"

"McGee." Gibbs couldn't really read Tim's face and that bothered him. He turned his attention back to Hannah. "I'm only here to drop off your gift."

"You could have given it to me in three hours as we agreed on." She didn't hide how upset she was with him.

He was going to pay for this he knew it. He brought out a small box and played with it in his fingers. "Well, I thought I'd just give it to you know and then we could see each other tomorrow. Thought Tim might want to spend this evening with you."

Hannah's features softened somewhat but not completely.

Tim wasn't sure how he felt about that gesture. Either Gibbs was being very kind or he was just showing that he could cause trouble if he needed to. With Gibbs one could never really tell.

Abby kept bobbing her head back and forth looking between the two. Man, this was one difficult situation going on here and yet she couldn't bring herself to leave. When Hannah moved towards Gibbs Abby had to move out of the way. She walked over to Tim and put a hand on his arm. He turned slightly and gave her small smile.

"Then why not give it to me tomorrow?" Hannah asked Gibbs quietly.

"I wanted you to have this on your birthday." He took a hold of one of her hands and placed the box in her hand. "Happy Birthday." He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss and was more than happy that she responded to it. With that he walked away and closed the door behind him. Outside and once the door was closed he took a deep breath. That had been harder the he thought it would be. Hopefully neither Tim nor Hannah would be to upset with him for this.

Hannah stared at the box and sighed as she walked back into the kitchen. She looked at Tim and couldn't help but to say it. "Sorry."

He shrugged. "Not your fault."

Abby hurried back in to the living room over to Tony and Ziva who were on the couch. She almost threw herself in between them. "Gibbs was here with a gift for Hannah."

Tony couldn't say that he was surprised.

Ziva rolled her eyes. "He could not wait?"

Abby ignored Ziva's harsh tone. "He wanted Hannah to have his gift now. He thought Tim should spend the rest of the evening with her so he isn't coming back. Isn't that sweet?"

"Do you mean sweet or smart?" Ziva added as she watched Tim walk in to the kitchen.

Abby decided to ignore Ziva then and got up to find someone else to talk to.

When Tim entered the kitchen he saw that the gift was placed on the table and Hannah was pouring herself a drink. "Aren't you going to open it?"

"Don't have to do it now." She took a sip of her drink.

"Come on I know you want to." He took the box and held it up for her to take. He had to admit he was curious to see what Gibbs had gotten for her.

She put down the glass, took the box from his hand and started to open it. As she did she noticed it was a jewelry box. Something she had suspected right away. She clicked it opened and gasped.

Tim saw the small and familiar locket. Oval in gold with a rose engraved on the front and with small petals around the rose. "How did he know?"

Hannah was tearing up. She never dreamt he would get her this. She sat back down on the chair rather hard but didn't notice. "We…" she had to take another breath as she got her emotions in check. "A few weeks ago we walked past an antique store and I saw this in the window." She traced a finger over it as she continued. "I told him my mom had one just like it. That it was her favorite."

Tim had to admit that it was a nice gesture. "That's nice of him." The locket did look just like the one their mother used to wear all the time.

Hannah didn't even hear him as she stared at the small locked now in her hand. "I can't believe he got me this." She looked up at Tim and noticed he too was staring at the locket. Probably as lost in memories as she had been. "You ok?"

He actually laughed then as he looked up and met her eyes. "Yes. I was just thinking about mom. Wondering what she would have been like today."

She understood as she had often wondered the same thing herself.

He smiled at her and nodded towards the locket. "Put it on."

She nodded and unclasped it. She put it around her neck and with expertize it was clasped once it was in place.

"Hold on for a second." Tim said before he vanished out of the kitchen.

Hannah was curious. What was he up to? She didn't have wait long before he came back with a present.

"Happy Birthday." He said as he handed her the gift.

She smiled at him as she took it and wondered what it could be. She started to open it and was soon looking at a cardboard box. She opened it and once again she gasped. Looking back at her was a picture of her mother smiling and a very young Hannah sitting in her lap. It was framed in a beautiful silver frame. She blinked as the tears threatened to fall. "Mom."

He went to stand next to her to look at the picture. "Found it in storage. I thought you might like it."

"I.. I love it." She put the picture on the table, turned towards her brother and embraced him. "Thank You." Her voice was faltering.

He wrapped his arms around her to return the hug. "You're welcome." He found that his own voice wasn't as sturdy as he thought it would be.

She withdrew and looked back at the picture while a hand went to hold her locket.

Tim noticed the gesture and chuckled. "It would seem that mom was the theme of the year."

Trough blurry eyes Hannah couldn't help but to laugh.


	38. Chapter 38

She checked herself in the mirror. She was ready for him. When she heard the doorbell she hurried over and opened it. She was surprised but delighted when she saw who it was. "Tim."

"Hey." He walked past her and headed to the living room to sit down. When he saw the table set for two with candle light he decided to stand.

Having closed the front door she followed him. "I didn't expect to see you today."

He smiled at her. "I'm meeting Ziva for dinner and since I passed your place I thought I'd come by and say hi. Wanted to see how you were doing?"

Hannah didn't understand why. "I'm fine."

She did seem to be in a better mood at the moment. "You were a bit sad when things were wrapping up last night. I didn't mean for my present to make you that way."

Hannah smiled as she took two steps towards him and took his hands in hers. So he had noticed even though she had tried to hide it. "I'm fine Tim." It was sort of the truth and yet it was not. "I loved your gift." Now that was pure honesty. "I put it in the bedroom."

He searched her face for any signs of lies but either she was good at hiding them or she was telling the truth. "I just wanted to make sure."

"And I appreciate it. You know Gibbs is coming over soon?" She wondered if he was aware or just didn't care.

"I know. Looks nice" He nodded towards the table.

"Thanks." She still couldn't help but wonder if there was something else going on.

"Look I should go. Just wanted to see how you were." He gave her a quick hug.

"Tell Ziva I said hi." She returned the hug right before he started to leave. When she heard the timer she moved towards the kitchen. Still in the back of her mind she wondered if there was more to his visit then just checking up on her.

Once outside Tim halted as he saw a familiar car park. Ah, darn it! His mind switched gears and suddenly he realized this might be an opportunity for him. It really had not been his plan to talk to Gibbs but the man's early appearance at Hannah's birthday party yesterday had changed that and as he watched the other man leave his car he thought he might as well just get it over with.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tim standing there watching him. Great, he did have a feeling he would pay for showing up at Hannah's party and it looked like he had been right. He had not expected to see Tim so soon though. Before closing the car door he grabbed the flowers he had brought with him. He locked the door, turned and started to walk towards Tim. As he came closer he saw the look on the younger man's face and he did not like it. "McGee."

"Gibbs." He knew he could drag this out and that would surely make Gibbs uncomfortable. However he had no desire to be around him to long so he decided to make this brief. "I didn't think I'd run in to you yet but as I have I just want you to know I do not appreciate the stunt you pulled last night."

Gibbs knew what he was talking about but for calling it a stunt. Was that really what he thought it had been? "It was no stunt."

"Really?" Tim made sure by the sarcastic tone that he let Gibbs knew he didn't really believe him. "I expected someone who thinks of himself as the alpha male to act like that. But in the future, try to control it for Hannah's sake. Oh, and if you get the sudden urge to start peeing on stuff, fight it. I wouldn't want to have to get you fixed."

Gibbs wasn't sure if he should laugh at that or feel threatened. He sighed heavily. "I showed up because I wanted Hannah to have her birthday present on her birthday and since she spent practically all day with you well, I just thought I come to the party and give it to her. There was no hidden agenda there."

He did sound sincere but the man could lie very well if he needed to. He tried to search the older man's face for some clues but he didn't find any. Gibbs didn't look upset or angry. Wait, was that a dejected look he saw? "It was a nice gift." With that Tim passed him and left not saying another word.

Gibbs was a bit taken aback by that last comment. He had not expected that at all. He did not move. What the hell had just happened? This was one surreal moment. He shook his head as to make sense of it all as he approached the front door and knocked. He heard her yell come in and opened the front door. Once inside he shut the door and still tried to make sense of his brief encounter with Tim as he heard footsteps and turned. She looked beautiful. Dressed in a dark blue dress with see through arms, just a hint of cleavage and a slit you could only see when she walked. Her hair was up on a tight bun with a small rose on the side. He saw she was wearing the locket. "You look stunning." He took a step closer to her and kissed her.

She returned his kiss with passion. As he drew back she smiled at him. "Thank You. You look quite dashing yourself." The man always looked good in a suit. Ok, she realized that was a lie. He looked good in anything.

From behind he brought out the yellow roses he had brought for her.

When she saw the roses she beamed and took them from him. "They are lovely, thank you."

"Not as lovely as you." He leaned in and couldn't help but to steal another kiss form her lips. "I ran in to Tim outside."

That caused her to halt. "Oh, what happened?"

He took her gently by the arm and together they walked in to the living room. "Ya know, I'm still trying to figure that one out."

She gestured to the other side of the table. "Take a seat. Dinner will be in a few minutes." She walked in to the kitchen and brought out a vas. She poured some water into it and after freeing the roses form the plastic around them she arranged them neatly in the vas. She brought the flowers with her as she returned to the living room and sat them down on the table.

He waited for her to sit down and when she did he had to ask. "Are you mad at me for showing up last night?"

She had to admit she had been. "At first I was, yes. It really does not help the situation between you and Tim."

"I know." Perhaps it had been foolish.

Her hand went to the locket. She had been thinking about calling him and thanking him but felt it was better to do it in person. "Thank You for this. You don't know how much this means to me."

He smiled at her. "I know." He clearly remembered how she had looked at the locket in the antique store. So after having heard her story about her mother he had gone back the next day to purchase it.

She smiled back at him. "I really love it."

He could tell the way she held her hand over the locket that she truly treasured it as he hoped she would. "I'm glad."

She decided to try again. "What did Tim say?"

Gibbs shifted a bit in his seat. "He thought me showing up yesterday was a stunt."

Hannah frowned. "A stunt?"

"I told him it wasn't. Don't know if he believed me or not." Hopefully he had been able to change Tim's mind.

"Oh, I see." She couldn't help but to feel disappointed that Tim felt that way.

Again as he went over the conversation in his mind it felt surreal. "Then suddenly he said it was a nice gift I had given you."

The disappointment she had felt seemed to fade bit at hearing that. "I think, even if he won't admit it, he was a bit touched by the gesture." She couldn't help but to smile again as she got up. "Hold on."

He watched as she walked away and loved seeing her right leg peek out from the slit as she walked. As she vanished for view he wondered what she was doing but soon she returned and holding what looked like a frame.

She held up the photograph for him to see. "That's my mom and that's me."

He looked at the woman staring back at her. Hannah had the same features and the same beautiful blue eyes as her mother. He looked at the small child in her lap that was looking at the camera with a cute grin. "Your mother was beautiful."

"She really was." Hannah brought the picture closer to her and almost got lost in memories again. "Tim gave me the photo. He found it and had it framed."

There was sadness written all over her face and he so wanted to change that. "That was a lovely present."

She nodded at him before she walked over to place the photograph on a bookshelf. "Yeah. With the locked and that photo Tim said that mom seemed to be the theme of the year."

There was a sad smile on his face as she returned to the table.

Hannah sat down on the chair again and looked into those blue eyes that gazed back lovingly at her. "In truth, it's the two most wonderful gifts I have ever received."

He reached over the table and placed a hand over one of hers. He squeezed it gently knowing that the subject of her mother was a touchy one for her. '"It wasn't meant to make you sad."

She shook her head. "No, it's… it may sound weird but it's a good sadness. I can't explain it but…"

He squeezed her hand again. "I know what you mean."

"I'm sure you do."


	39. Chapter 39

"_You have to choose. Who will it be?"_

Tim's image dissolved and turned into Gibbs.

"_You cannot have them both. Who will it be?"_

Gibbs' image dissolved and turned into Tim once again.

"_CHOOSE!"_

"NO!" She sat up with a start and tried to get her emotions in check. She blinked rapidly trying to get that awful voice out of her head.

When Gibbs had heard the scream he had immediately awoken and as he sat up he found her breathing hard. "You ok?" He knew he shouldn't touch her but a hand of his couldn't help but to touch her arm lightly. She didn't jerk away so he kept it there caressing her. He had thought her nightmares had subsided somewhat. Clearly something had triggered them again.

She nodded. She didn't want to tell him that this was not about Davenport or her past but more about her future. This 'new' dream was unexpected. Clearly she couldn't get away from the subject even when she was sleeping.

"You want to talk about it?" He wasn't sure why he asked. She usually never did. He wished she would share so he could help her but he would not force the subject.

"No." She threw the blankets aside and got up. She headed towards the bathroom and soon had the water running. She splashed some on her face and looked into the mirror. She wouldn't have to choose would she?

Gibbs was up in moments after her and for a second thought about going into the bathroom. He decided to give her some space. He looked at the clock. Sure it was Sunday and it was early but there was no way he was going back to sleep now. He doubted Hannah would either.

She headed back into the bedroom and smiled at him when she saw him standing there looking really worried. "I'm fine."

He watched her as she put some clothes on. Yep, she wasn't going back to bed. He wondered what the dream had been about. She seemed a bit different. "You do know I'm here to listen if you want to talk right?"

"I know." There was no way she could talk to him about this. She was tired but she couldn't sleep more now. "I'm going to make some coffee."

He said nothing as he watched her leave the bedroom.

Entering the kitchen she tried to keep her mind busy as she started to make the coffee. She couldn't let go of the dream. Of the images and that haunting voice that had told her she had to choose. Wasn't it enough that she had to deal with Tim and Gibbs in real life now she had to dream about it too? Again she scolded herself. It was partly her doing so maybe this was some kind of justice or payback or whatever one might call it.

Gibbs walked in to find her so preoccupied with her thoughts she didn't seem to hear him. "Hannah."

She turned slightly but without a word turned back to what she was doing.

This was different and he did not like it. He walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine Gibbs."

He sighed at hearing his last name. "How many times have I told you to call me Jethro?" When she chuckled in response it made him feel a bit better.

She flipped the on switch on the coffee maker. "I know. I like saying Gibbs though."

"And you don't like saying Jethro?" He tried to mock being hurt.

She turned and looked at him. "I do but for some reason Gibbs has stuck with me. Probably after hearing the others call you that before I even met you."

He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Think you can sneak in a Jethro once in a while? I like hearing you say my name."

She smirked at him. "I'll see what I can do, Jethro."

He couldn't help but to wink at her as she had said his name. He tried to study her and saw she was guarding herself somewhat. He couldn't help but to again wonder what she had been dreaming about.

She could tell he was observing her and she did not like it. "Will you stop looking at me like that?" She pushed him away but did it with a soft touch.

He backed away somewhat. "Just want to help you. When you have those dreams I feel powerless."

She turned back to look at him and shook her head. "You can't do anything." She figured that he thought she was still dreaming about the past so she went with that. "I told you the dreams are better now. They really are. I used to have them more frequently before."

He sighed heavily. It hurt him just to think about what she must have gone through those four days. "I do not know how one survives something like that." He was a bit surprised when she smiled back at him.

"One does with a loving brother, a caring uncle and aunt, a few wonderful friends and lots of therapy." She turned back and brought out two mugs. Her uncle and aunt had been so wonderful to her and Tim. Without them who knew where they would have ended up. She poured some coffee into a mug.

He was grateful that she had had that support when she had needed it. He accepted the mug she gave him and took a seat by the kitchen table. He watched as she poured some coffee into another mug.

She took the mug and sat down opposite him. She was still trying to get the voice and images from her latest dream out of her head. "Well, at least I have not gotten any more calls about seeing Davenport." She was desperately trying to think of something else, anything else.

"Good." He took a sip of his coffee and wondered if she would ever share some of her dreams with him.


	40. Chapter 40

Tim stepped out of the elevator. He wasn't sure why Tony had insisted on telling him to come here now but it had seemed important. As he walked into the bullpen he saw Gibbs by his desk.

Gibbs saw him approach and wondered what had brought him there. He did not usually visit. "McGee, what brings you here?"

He stopped right by his former boss' desk. "I don't know. Tony told me to come. He said it was urgent."

Gibbs frowned as he noticed movement further away and saw Tony and Ziva walking towards them.

"Good, you're both here." Tony said as he came to stand next to Tim.

So this had something to do with him to. Gibbs could tell that it was serious. "What's this about?"

Ziva and Tony looked at each other quickly before Tony began to talk. "Here is the thing, this is not working out. You two and splitting Hannah between you. Well, it's wearing her out. She's a complete mess."

Gibbs said nothing but eyed them carefully. He knew this was difficult for Hannah but it wasn't that bad was it?

Tim sighed softly. He should have seen this coming. Why didn't he? Of course this would be hard for her but she had told him she was…. Oh heck, he had missed the signs again.

When no one spoke Ziva continued. "She is down in autopsy with Ducky. Tony called her and asked her to come in. She doesn't know why. When was the last time either of you really took a good look at her?"

Gibbs was getting annoyed. He spent almost every evening with her except when she was with Tim or someone else. She seemed fine. "And you have?"

Ziva responded. "Yes, in fact _**we**_ have. Yesterday she had lunch with Tony and Tony said she was utterly exhausted. Tim and I had dinner with her a few days ago she put up a good front but the moment Tim had left that all came crumbling down. She did not know I was still in the restaurant or she would have kept the facade up."

Tim felt so stupid. He really should have known. She had done this before and it was exactly something he would do himself too.

"I am willing to say she puts up a front for you too Gibbs." Before he got a chance to respond she went on. "It can only last so long."

Gibbs wasn't sure of what to say. Were they right? He had to find out. He stood up, rounded his desk and started to head for autopsy.

Ziva and Tony fell in line after him.

Tim waited a few seconds. He remembered how sad she had looked at the end of her birthday party. The day after she had said that she was fine but clearly she wasn't and he had believed her too. "Damn it!" He shouted causing the others to freeze in their tracks. Tim started to walk fast and as he passed the other three he almost yelled out. "I should have seen this coming."

Gibbs quickly started to follow him. "What do you mean?"

Ziva and Tony were close behind as they all entered the elevator.

"She's done this before. When something bad happens she keeps it to herself and pretends everything is fine until she breaks down completely." He sighed heavily. "I never thought that I'd be the cause of it."

"When has this happened before?" Ziva asked quietly.

Tim looked at them. He wasn't sure how much of her past Hannah had told them. "When a boyfriend abused her she wouldn't tell me but suffer in silence."

Gibbs clenched his fists. He hated feeling like this. He studied Tim's face and had to ask. "What about when she was fifteen?" He hoped Tim would understand what he meant.

Tim's eyes came to rest on Gibbs. He knew. Of course he did. "Yes." He answered as he tried shutting out those awful memories.

Gibbs nodded and tried to will the elevator to go faster.

"What happened when she was fifteen?" Tony asked couldn't help but to ask. He didn't like the look on Gibbs' and Tim's faces as they both stared back at him. "What?"

Neither man said anything as the elevator doors opened. Gibbs was the first one out and right away he heard Hannah's voice.

"I'm fine Ducky. I don't see why you need to ask."

He knew then he had missed it. Her voice sounded tired and tinted with regret.

Hannah did not like this. What was she doing here and why all these questions? She turned around and came face to face with four very concerned faces staring back at her. "Oh great, now what?" No one said anything and it made her feel worse. "What am I, a circus freak?"

Gibbs didn't know what to say. Right then he finally took a good look at her. How could he have missed it? She didn't look like herself at all. Her hair seemed lifeless and dull. Her eyes were dark and there was nothing there. Her face didn't have that luster it usually had and she did seem like she was totally exhausted. He looked over at Tim and knew Tim had seen it too.

Tim cursed in his head. How could he have been so blind? He had been so wrapped up in his own pain, resentment and anger at Gibbs that he had neglected seeing the pain Hannah was in. Looking at her now he could clearly see what he had failed to see before and he hated that it took someone else to point it out to him.

Tony stepped up from behind Gibbs and walked over to her.

"Why did you call me Tony?" She knew her voice sounded whiny but she honestly didn't care.

"You can't keep doing this Hannah. You're wearing yourself out by going between Gibbs and Tim all the time." He tried to pat her back but she backed away from him.

"I'm fine." She threw back a bit too loud. Who was he to tell her what she should do?

Gibbs didn't like this. Not only had he missed the signs but now she was denying it too.

Tim waited. He knew what was coming. Something would trigger it and then she would let loose. He took a step closer to her. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Hannah rounded to face him and almost growled. "Tell you what? There is nothing to say."

Ziva knew when not to interfere. She would wait to see if she would be needed.

Ducky knew where this was heading. Poor Hannah had been ignoring how she was feeling for the sake of the two men she loved the most. It was about to backfire on her.

Right then Abby, oblivious to what was going in, walked in. She immediately noticed the group and the somber mood. "What's going on?" She looked over at Hannah and happily walked over to her but as Abby reached her she stopped. "Are you ok? You look terrible."

"Gee thanks Abby." Hannah spat out.

Abby was a bit taken aback by that. "I didn't mean….."

Gibbs tried to warn her. "Abs."

Abby still did not understand what was going on but tried to talk to Hannah who seemed to be in a bad mood. "Why don't we go and talk somewhere just the two of us?"

That did it. She had had enough. "Oh you mean like the last times where I've been consoling you for hours because **YOU** are tired of being torn between Tim and Gibbs?" She yelled loudly wondering where that came from but it was like something had been opened and it felt good to say it.

Abby blinked. She was stunned but didn't dare to say anything.

Gibbs had to do something so he took a step closer but felt a hand on his arm. He turned and saw Ducky who shook his head.

Tony walked back over to Ziva. Maybe this had been a bad idea after all.

Tim grabbed a hold of one of Abby's arms and pulled her back. Abby had been the catalyst.

When Abby came closer to Tony he pulled her back a bit more se she stood firmly between him and Ziva.

Hannah didn't even register that Abby had moved. She did not notice anything at the moment but Abby's face. "You didn't stop to think that maybe, just maybe I was being torn between them too? I mean gee; after all I'm only Tim's sister and Gibbs' girlfriend." Damn that did feel good and so bad at the same time. Her head was aching to which her heart seemed to pump louder and louder.

Gibbs swallowed hard. How the hell could he have missed this? How could he have been so blind?

Abby felt the tears that threatened to come. "I'm sorry, I didn't think…"

Hannah was on a roll. She would not let it go. Not now. "No you didn't think. You didn't stop to think for a damn second that maybe someone else was suffering too."

Tim stepped up so he was now in Hannah's field of vision. "Hannah, please calm down."

"Calm down? CALM DOWN?" She tried to get the emotions under control but they were boiling over. She couldn't make them stop. "Do you have any idea how hard it is that I have to guard my tongue every time I see you? Not to talk about Gibbs and not to even mention Gibbs. I have to think twice before anything I say because you might get your feelings hurt. I'm hiding a big part of my life from you because that's what you wanted and it hurts that I cannot share it with you. " She turned away from him not wanting to say anything more damaging.

Gibbs moved then and walked past Tim to place a hand on her shoulder. He had not expected her to jerk around and grab his hand roughly to remove it.

When Hannah noticed that it was Gibbs that that had placed a hand on her shoulder her fire came back. "And you…"

Gibbs stood and waited. Ready to accept anything she would say to him.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me about the consequences before we got together?"

He accepted responsibility for that but had no answer that would work now.

"Did Tim matter so little to you that you just didn't care?"

Tim was both surprised and saddened that in spite all she felt towards him in this very moment she would still defend him.

"No."

Hannah froze. She had not expected him to answer her.

Gibbs looked over towards Tim and then back at Hannah. "Tim matters a lot to me and I screwed up." He was telling the truth and hoped he would be believed.

Tim blinked in surprise at that answer. He wasn't sure how much he believed Gibbs statement but decided right now wasn't the time to worry about it

"It's funny how you show that." She wasn't really sure of what to say next but her anger would not let go. "I feel like I'm walking on eggshells around you. If I say the wrong thing you just shut up and say nothing. Do you know how annoying it is to get you to talk when you just refuse? All you do is sit there and say nothing."

It wasn't the first time he had been blamed for this. He really needed to change.

"How can we make this work if you won't even talk to me?" It was the last of her yelling as she started to feel like she was draining out.

Gibbs wanted to say something but he did not know what to say.

Hannah almost stumbled back and took a good look at Gibbs and then Tim. She was starting to shiver. "I.. I can't do this anymore." Her voice was faltering and yet it sounded eerily calm. "I can't. It's too much. It hurts too much. I've been trying but I'm running out. I can't… not anymore…. not like this…."

Tim wanted so much to embrace her but feared it would do more damage than anything. He needed to wait. He knew her heart was breaking and his was breaking right with it.

A tear rolled down her cheek and then another. "I… don't want to be on my guard around you two all the time. I can't do it. I'm so tired…. So…"

Gibbs saw her swaying and in an instant he was beside her. He caught her as she started to fall. Together they reached the floor. He steadied her so that she was now sitting on the floor between his legs as he stroked her hair gently.

Tim moved passed Gibbs to the other side where Hannah was. He crouched down behind her but gave them both some space.

Ziva blinked away a tear. She had not expected it to go this far but perhaps now Hannah could start healing.

Tony looked down at the floor. He hated seeing someone he cared about like this. It was not what he had wanted.

Ducky placed a hand on Abby's shoulder in comfort. He knew the boys would look after Hannah now. She had told them how she felt and there was no way they would let her suffer alone anymore.

Gibbs continued to stroke Hannah's hair while mentally kicking himself for letting it get this far. "I'm sorry." Gibbs whispered in her ear. "I'm so, so sorry." He hoped he could get through to her. He really hated seeing her like this and to know he was to blame for it. "I never meant for this to happen." He looked at Tim, saw the sadness in his eyes and knew they were mirrors of his own. "And I know Tim didn't either." He added while still looking at the younger man.

Tim was at a loss. Usually it was him who had been consoling Hannah when she was in pain but at the moment it didn't really matter who was comforting her. He wasn't so sure he could right now anyway. He was partly to blame for her breakdown and it felt terrible.

Hannah tried to control her breathing and was starting to calm down but the tears still fell. She felt the hand that was stroking her hair and heard him whisper in her ear once again.

"I want to make this work. I love you so much." Please don't make her doubt him now.

Tim was watching the interaction closely. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about this.

Hannah found she had new strength in her now as she pushed Gibbs away. "I.. I have to get out of here." She stood up abruptly, started to walk away and fast.

Gibbs stood quickly and hurried after her. "Hannah." He passed Abby, Ducky, Ziva and Tony and caught up with her by the elevator. "Hannah." He took a hold of her arm, gently.

She brushed him off. "I need to be alone." She locked eyes with him and saw the sadness in his face. She wanted to say something comforting but found that she couldn't. "I have to go."

He watched her open the door to the stairs and was about to follow when he felt a hand holding him back. He turned to face Tim.

"I'll go after her." Tim let go of Gibbs' arm and headed for the stairs.

If Tim thought that he would just stand around and do nothing he was wrong. "Not without me."

Tim didn't say anything as he hurried after Hannah.

Tony and Ziva moved then.

Abby wanted to go to but Ducky held her back. "Let's stay here my dear. They can handle this on their own."

Abby nodded but said nothing. She felt foolish for having been so oblivious to Hannah's pain.

When they entered the garage Tim did not see anything. He heard her though.

Gibbs heard her too. She was crying and it cut him like a knife.

They both moved in the direction of the sound and soon saw her sitting on the ground with her head bowed.

Gibbs was about to go to her when he felt a hand, yet again, on his arm that he suspected belonged to Tim. He turned slightly and to his surprise saw that it was Ziva.

Ziva wasted no time as she let go of Gibbs and headed towards Hannah. Soon she hunched down next to her. "Hannah, why don't I take you home?"

Tony watched the two women with sadness. He had not meant for Hannah to break down like this. He felt a bit guilty about it.

Tim was grateful to Ziva at that moment. He wanted to help Hannah himself but knew he might be one of the last people Hannah wanted to deal with right now. He was also glad Gibbs did not try to interfere.

When Hannah didn't move or say anything that indicated that she had even heard Ziva Gibbs wanted to go and talk to her but something told him not to. He looked over towards Tim and noticed his stiffly posture as if he was holding himself back. Gibbs followed his lead and did the same.

While taking a deep breath Hannah looked up at Ziva and was for the moment glad it was neither Tim nor Gibbs next to her. "Ok."

Ziva helped Hannah up and didn't let go of her as they walked over to Ziva's car.

None of the three men who watched them failed to notice that Hannah seemed totally dejected.

Tony was upset for letting it go this far as he saw Hannah get into the car.

Tim had never been this angry as he watched Hannah put on the seatbelt.

Gibbs really hated this as he watched Hannah fall back into the seat looking completely worn out.

The car started and soon pulled out of the garage.

Tony was the first to walk away. Maybe, in the long run, this would help Hannah. Maybe this would help both Tim and Gibbs too.

Gibbs couldn't take this anymore. He had to get out of here. "I need coffee." He didn't care how it sounded he just needed to be alone.

"Gibbs."

He stopped and turned towards Tim. Now what?

When Tim spoke it was rather quietly. "We **BOTH** need to leave her alone now. Don't try to call her or check up on her."

Gibbs closed his eyes for a few seconds and then looked at Tim again. That was exactly what he wanted to do but Tim had been in this situation before so he knew best. "For now."

Tim took a step closer to Gibbs. "When she is ready, she will contact us. If we try and push it, it will just get worse. A lot worse. Trust me."

Gibbs formed a small but sad smile on his lips. "I do trust you Tim." He could see just how tired and sad Tim looked. He felt the same way.

Tim couldn't help but to frown. "Yeah, well you have a poor way of showing it." With those words hanging in the air he started to walk away.

Gibbs did not take his eyes of Tim until the younger man was out of sight. Would things ever be right between them again?


	41. Chapter 41

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'''''''''

Hannah sat up, yawned and ran a hand over her tired eyes. She must have fallen asleep and yet she still felt so tired. There was movement in the kitchen and even though she tried she couldn't figure out who was there. She stood up and had to wait a moment as it felt like she was going to fall back on the couch. When it didn't work she sat down, closed her eyes and just waited for the rush in her head to disappear.

"Ah, you are awake."

She opened her eyes and saw Ziva enter the living room carrying a tray. "Ziva?" Something smelled good.

"Yes? You seem surprised to see me." Ziva put down the tray on the table and seated herself in one of the chairs. "I thought you might like something to eat."

Now she remembered. "Oh God." She buried her head in her hands. "I cannot believe that happened in front of everyone." Her hands left her face as she looked back at Ziva.

"It is nothing to be ashamed of. Tim and Gibbs needed to see how this was affecting you." She took the plate and placed it in front of Hannah. "I made you some pasta."

She smiled at Ziva. "Thanks.

Ziva did not say anything as she watched Hannah take a few small bites. At least she was eating something. Ziva had to admit that she was a little worried. Hannah had not said a word until now and looking at the other woman she seemed so fragile, so small and not at all herself. Of course a breakdown would do that to a person. Perhaps the worst had passed now. Perhaps now Tim and Gibbs could find some way of not making Hannah feel so torn between the two.

Hannah put down the fork. "It's great but I'm just not that hungry." She took the glass of water and drank most of it one swoop. She placed the glass back on the table. "You didn't have to do this. Not that I don't appreciate it though."

Ziva knew better than to force her to eat more. "I couldn't just leave you alone. How are you feeling now?"

"Exhausted." Hannah answered truthfully.

"You do need some rest." She stood and took the tray. "I'll be right back."

As Ziva left for the kitchen Hannah thought about what to do next. She couldn't stand to see Gibbs or Tim right now. Especially after breaking down in front of them like that. She said a lot of things and found she couldn't deal with that just yet. Abby, she lashed out at Abby. She would have to talk to her but not now. She couldn't do that either yet.

Ziva came back into the living room and noticed that Hannah did not even notice her approach. "Hannah?"

Hearing her name she tilted her head slightly. "Yeah. My mind is just not with it right now."

"Understandable." Ziva reclaimed her seat.

Hannah sighed as she straightened. "I feel so stupid saying all those things to Tim, Gibbs, Abby… To everyone."

Ziva shook her head. "They understand. We were, are, all concerned about you."

"I haven't had a breakdown in a long time."

"Yes, Tim mentioned something that this had happened before." She wasn't sure if she should bring it up even though she was curious about what had happened to Hannah when she had been fifteen years old. She decided not to.

"Yeah, I tend to keep things inside, to myself until it becomes too much. Not a good thing but I never learn." She smiled a bit and soon Ziva was smiling with her. "By the way, you have spent a lot of time with my brother now haven't you?"

She had not seen the change of conversation coming but she answered. "We have spent some time together, yes." Ziva wasn't sure where Hannah was going with this. "I'd like to think I have been helpful."

"You have. Tim talks very fondly of you." She did not get a response right away but that quick movement of Ziva's eyes looking down at the floor told her a lot. "Is there something going on between the two of you?"

"No." It was the truth even though she would have liked her answer to be different. Ziva knew she had feelings for Tim. They had grown slowly but they were there.

Hannah knew there was more. "But you would like it to be?"

She should have known out of all the people who might catch on that Tim's sister would definitely be one of them. "He does not see me that way."

Hannah chuckled a bit which earned her a frown from Ziva. "I think he does but when it comes to women my brother is rather shy." Her mood turned somber once again. "Not to mention this thing with Gibbs and him has taken up much of his energy and focus. It shouldn't be that way."

Ziva agreed with that. "I know and I have tried to take his mind of it. I guess me working with Gibbs does not help." It made her sad thinking like that but it's something she had to consider could be a factor.

Hannah knew that was not the case at all. "No, if he would have been bothered by you working with Gibbs he wouldn't have spent time with you at all. The fact that he spends so much time with you says he cares for you very much." Hannah leaned forward a bit. "Ziva, if you want something to happen between you and Tim you should let him know."

She wasn't sure what to say. She really wanted to but the timing didn't feel right but if Hannah thought so. Who would know better than her? "Now seems not the right time."

Hannah shook her head. "No, now is the right time. Don't you see, it will give him something else to think about." She leaned back again and sighed. "You do what you feel is right Ziva but I am telling you, Tim cares about you a lot."

She couldn't help but to smile at hearing that. "I care about him a lot too."

There was no need to push and Hannah knew when to stop. "So how does Abby feel about you and Tim spending time together?"

Ziva remembered her talk with Abby about Hannah's party. She also remembered the looks she would get from the Goth once in a while when Tim's name was mentioned. "I have no talked to her too much but of the little I have seen, I could be wrong but she seemed a bit jealous."

She nodded knowing very well what Ziva was talking about. "Yeah, she has had a tendency of getting a bit possessive of him. What about Tony, how does he feel?"

From all that she had heard and seen Tony had only been positive. Of course he did not know of her feelings for Tim but that should not matter. Hopefully it wouldn't. "That being there for Tim is a good thing."

Straightening as she sat up Hannah had to ask. "Has this hurt your relationship with Gibbs?"

Ziva thought about that for a moment. Sure her faith in him had been staggered a blow. "I think it has hurt Gibbs himself more than anyone else." She saw that Hannah fully understood that. "I do feel he could have gone about things differently. My faith in him might not be the same as before. It might have been damaged a bit but we manage to work together."

Hannah did not like the sound of that. "Manage?"

"It is not as bad as it sounds. I am not afraid to tell him exactly how I feel on this matter and I think Gibbs wouldn't have wanted it any other way." She wasn't really sure how else to explain it. Looking over at Hannah she could see she was almost struggling to stay awake. "I should go; you need to get some rest." She stood up but halted when Hannah moved also.

"Thanks for everything."

Ziva had not been prepared as Hannah closed the distance between them and embraced her. This was a first but she was touched and returned the gesture. "You're welcome." Drawing back she smiled at the other woman and made her way out of the apartment.

She really needed to get some sleep but she had one more thing to do. She looked around and saw her purse on the floor. She picked it up and looked for the phone. Finding it she quickly dialed a number and waited.

"_Dinozzo."_

"Hi Tony."

"_Hannah, how are you?"_

Well, at least he sounded happy to hear from her. "I am tired. Ziva just left and I am going to get some sleep. I just…" She had not been too pleased with him when she had discovered what he had done but not looking back on it.. "Tony, Thank You."

"_You don't have to thank me but you're welcome."_

She could hear him smiling even thorough the telephone. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"_Sure, anything you need."_

How she could hug him right now. "Can you tell Tim and Gibbs that, I just want to be alone for a while?"

"_No problem. Are you going away?"_

"I don't know, maybe. Have to see if I can change some shifts at the hospital in that case. I haven't really decided anything yet."

"_Ok, you call me if you need anything."_

He really was such a sweetheart. "I will and thanks for everything."

"_Glad I can be of service."_

She chuckled a little. "Bye Tony."

"Bye babe."

She laughed as she closed the phone. Tony had not called her that in a long time.


	42. Chapter 42

**HUGE mega thanks to literatefool who actually co-wrote part of this part with me when I got stuck.**

'''''''''''''''''''

As he hung up the phone he was glad that Ziva had called to tell him about her talk with Hannah. Not that it eased any of his guilt since Hannah was clearly still in pain. There was a knock at the door and Tim wished whoever it was would just go way.

"Come on McGee, open the door."

Tony. He might as well open since he knew Tony would stand out there until he did. He sighed heavily as he got up and walked over to the door.

When the door was opened Tony could tell how Tim was feeling just by looking at him. He looked like he had not slept in days. Tony didn't say anything about it though. "I brought beer and pizza." He stepped past Tim and headed for the living room.

Tim closed the door wishing Tony would just leave him alone. "Why are you here?" He asked as he came into the living room where Tony was making himself comfortable it seemed.

Tony decided to try some humor. "And here I thought you were the smart one." There was no reaction from Tim and Tony had not really expected one either. "I thought I'd check up on you. Some heavy stuff went down today."

"Don't remind me." Tim almost fell back into a chair. Hannah breaking down was all he had thought about ever since it had happened.

Tony pushed a beer towards his friend. "She called me a little while ago."

Now Tim was looking up at Tony. Hannah had called? "She did?"

"Yeah, wants to be alone for a while. She wanted me to let you know." Tony took a slice of Pizza and dug in.

He had not expected that. Usually Hannah would just vanish and not be heard from at all. The fact that she had called Tony was a good sign and now he was actually glad that Tony had come over to tell him. "How did she sound?"

Tony thought about it for a moment. "Very tired but better than she had earlier."

That was another good sign. Tim shook his head when Tony offered him some pizza. He wasn't hungry at all.

"So, maybe you and Gibbs should talk? Find some common ground." He watched as Tim seemed to consider the idea.

Could they? He wasn't so sure. He wasn't so sure he wanted to try. Bu he knew they needed to figure out something for Hannah's sake.

Tony decided to go for the gold. "Tim, what is it about Gibbs that you can't accept him being with Hannah?"

He wanted to laugh but had no strength to do so. Accept Gibbs being with Hannah? "I don't have much choice about accepting it do I?"

Tony had to give him that one. "No, that's true." He decided to press on. He had been curious for a while and now seemed like a good time to try to get Tim to talk. "But something is bothering you. That he's been married so many times. I can totally understand that but if that's the case then shouldn't you trust Hannah? I mean she knew this going into the relationship."

Tim looked back at Tony as the other man started on his second pizza slice. Tim had not really talked about this to anyone. Well, he may have mentioned something to Hannah once but not really talked about it. Not even to Ziva and she was the one he spent most of his time with these days. Maybe it was time to talk about it. He sighed as he thought it over.

"I mean, Gibbs isn't all that bad is he?" Tony had no idea what he had just unleashed.

Tim narrowed his eyes a bit as he looked back at Tony. "You and Abby really can't see past your hero worship can you?" There was harshness in his tone that would be hard to ignore.

Tony froze as he was about to take another bite of Pizza.

"It has to be great being an only kid. But try to imagine having a younger sister that has had more troubles than anyone should have. Picture her. Ok. Then imagine her coming home one day and telling you that she is seeing someone and is in love. He's old enough to be her father. He's in law enforcement. His major hobbies at night consist of drinking in his basement while he builds boats. Full size boats in his basement. Tell me a red flag wouldn't wave?" He didn't even bother for Tony to answer that as he continued to speak. "Then she continues to mention that his first wife and daughter died but he's been married three times since. And that all the women looked like his dead wife. And they all left him and spit at the mention of his name. I mean, three times? Flag. He's great with people. Well, some people. The people he makes his chosen ones. He has one surrogate daughter that could commit murder and he would kiss her cheek and clean up after her. To everyone else he is a self-confessed bastard. So he has almost no friends, unless you count the chosen ones who think he can do no wrong and walk on water. Oh, and by the way, he's your supervisor, the one that you have almost no relationship with and haven't wanted, so you're going to have to flush your career down the toilet."

Tim took a deep breath and blew it out his nose. This felt good. It felt good to finally say something to someone. "You and Abby have it easy. When Hannah finally figures out she can't replicate his dead wife, and that won't do, she'll have to go somewhere. Guess who will get to help her rebuild? If they have kids, who is going to have to help the ones that don't meet his standards-heaven help them if they inherited the geek gene- or the little girls who just don't compare to his dead child? The little one he can't love because he just isn't what he wanted? You two can just walk away. I can't." Feeling all drained out he relaxed back in to his chair. He had not meant to say so much but it just came out on its own. He could tell he had just shocked the hell out of Tony.

Tony was completely and utterly stunned. He gently put the pizza slice down. He didn't feel hungry anymore. He didn't know what to say. What could he possibly say in response to that? Where to begin? "Wow, that was… deep." Not the best thing to say but it was better than nothing. He hoped. He re winded what Tim had said in his mind and decided to try to say something. "Do you honestly think that if Hannah thought she would be a stand in for Shannon she would put up with that?"

Tim knew that Tony did not know everything that Hannah had been through; about the men that had wracked havoc in her life. However she had come a long way since then so he would like to think that Tony was right. However, when it came to Gibbs he was not so sure. "Not if she realized. But she is in love, and do you really think in this stage she wouldn't believe that he isn't going to do that or think that? Hell, even if she suspected it she would still believe she could change it. Love is the great lobotomy."

Ok, that was not the answer he had expected but he did not give up. "And do you really think that he would act that way if they had kids?" When Tim was about to say something Tony held up a hand. "Wait, I know he has no patient with you or Abby's geek talk but for god sake if he had a son or daughter that turned out to be a geek do you honestly think he wouldn't care about that? And if, IF, he did I bet Hannah would kick his ass." Tony smiled hoping he would get one from Tim too. No such luck.

"He would care. He just wouldn't be able to, or have interest in, interacting with. He would be at every baseball game and event for the cool kids. I doubt he would bother to show at the geek stuff. And Hannah; she might. However she'd also might just ask me to spend more time with the kid." He hoped he was wrong but he very much doubted it.

Tony tried again to touch on the child subject. "And compare to his dead child, I don't know Tim. He is bound to think of Kelly if he has more kids but I don't think he would go that far."

Tim sighed wondering if Tony would ever get it. "Tony, EVERY girl between birth and the age Kelly would be now is Kelly. He treats them all that way. He sees her in all of them. I suspect he would see her in any other daughter he had, due to DNA. No one can compare to the lost."

Tony decided to try something else. "Ok. Let's stop there and talk about the other things you mentioned. So he's been married three times but hopefully he has learned something from those marriages. The drinking, well at last he isn't an alcoholic?" Tony tried to joke but failed miserable. "One important thing, I do not believe that Gibbs meant for your career to suffer." Tony did not get much further when Tim suddenly spoke again.

Tim voice was filled with new determination and anger now. "What do you think he had planned Tony? Arranging a sudden 'great opportunity' for me so that I would transfer out? Somewhere across the country or elsewhere even. That way, once I was gone, 'Surprise! Guess who is sleeping with your sister." There was no way Gibbs had not thought about what it would do to Tim's career.

Tony did not believe that Gibbs would actually do something like that and there was some anger in his voice as he responded. "Come on, he wouldn't do that now would he?"

Tim refused to answer. What was the point if Tony didn't understand what was being said or believe in it?

"Look Tim, I see your points. I really do but you need to talk to Gibbs. He is the only one that can give you the answers you need. I don't think he'll lie if you talk to him." Tony closed the pizza box and sat back into the couch. "Not only for your sake but for Hannah's too you'll need to talk to him eventually."

Tim knew Tony was right. At some point he had to talk to Gibbs however he wasn't sure what good that would do. "Doesn't Gibbs have a rule about actions speaking louder than words? His actions tell me plenty. Unfortunately, I suppose I have to try and believe anything that comes out of his mouth."

Tony said nothing to that. If Tim only believed in Gibbs' actions the only thing that would change Tim's mind, for the better or the worse, were Gibbs 'actions over time. Suddenly he remembered something Tim had said and sat up straight. "And hero worship, that's going a little too far!"'

Tim shook his head. "If you and Abby could figure out how to pull it off you would have both been adopted by him and call him daddy by now."

Tony scoffed at hearing that. "Maybe Abby would have but not me." He looked at his friend and wished there was something he could do for him. "Tim, I am sorry you found out the way you did.

Tim shrugged his shoulders. "It could have been worse."

"Yeah?"

"Hannah and I have keys to each other's apartments. We used to be in and out all the time, unannounced." He was glad that that scenario had never happened. He couldn't help but to shiver even thinking about it.

Tony didn't need to be painted a clearer picture. He understood what Tim was trying to say. "So? Oh. You mean..."

Tim nodded. "Somehow I don't think walking in on them having sex would have ended well for any of us."

Tony didn't even want to think about what the fallout of that could have been like. "Oh, yeah. That's a really... bad thought."

Tim finally took the beer he had been offered and opened it. "Yeah. I call ahead now. And look for his car. And stomp down the hall to her apartment. And knock loudly." He drank from the beer and he found he was starting to get a bit hungry.

"I can understand."

"I don't go over much." 


	43. Chapter 43

He did not know how long he had worked on the boat but it must have been hours. It didn't help at all. Not even Ziva's phone call had made him feel any better. Now he had finally given up working as he walked up the stairs. After he had left the basement it did not take long before he noticed Tony sitting in his sofa watching TV. "Tony." He really did not feel like company right now.

Without looking away from the TV Tony answered. "Thought I'd come by and see how you were doing?"

Gibbs did not reply as he sat down in one of the chairs. "How do ya think I'm doing?"

"Yeah." Tony switched the TV of and placed the remote on the table. He grabbed one of the beer's he had brought with him and handed it to Gibbs.

He accepted the beer, opened it and drank perhaps too much at the same time. He started too caught a bit but soon had it under control. "How long have you been here?"

"Not long. Thought I'd let you finish working on the boat. Get your frustrations out." Tony could tell that Gibbs wasn't feeling much better than he had earlier. "It didn't work did it?"

"Nope." He twirled the beer bottle slightly between his hands. Hannah's breakdown had been played in his mind over and over again.

Tony couldn't help but wonder if Gibbs might have a little breakdown himself the way he looked. "She called me earlier."

Now Gibbs was paying attention. "Yeah? What did she say?"

"She wants to be alone for a while and wanted me to tell you." Tony drank some of his beer.

He took a deep breath. Hannah wanted to be alone and away from him. That didn't feel good. "Is she ok?" He couldn't help but to repeat the question he had asked Ziva earlier.

"I would say she's getting there." Tony answered truthfully while drinking more beer. "You know, I went to see McGee earlier and we had a very interesting conversation."

Gibbs frowned at that. "I bet." He could very well imagine what they had discussed. "So how much does he hate me right now?"

Tony thought about that. Tim had not said much about that certain subject but Tony knew him well enough to know that the other man was suffering as well. "Probably about as much as he hates himself." Tony sat down his beer on the table and leaned forward. "We had a long talk and he said some things you might find interesting."

Gibbs sat down the now empty beer bottle and sat up straight. "Oh?"

"He gave me a long and impressive speech about why he feels so strongly against you being with Hannah." Tony tried to say it the nicest way possible.

Gibbs wasn't so sure that he wanted to hear it but he knew he had to. "Ok, tell me."

Tony decided to take the one route that would impact Gibbs the most. "Let's say that Kelly was still alive and one day she comes home to tell you that she has met this guy, a guy who is old enough to be her father, his wife and child are dead, and he has been married three times after that to women who all resemble his dead wife, women who now despises the guy. That would make you react wouldn't it?" Tony paused to watch Gibbs' reaction. As usual there was nothing on his face but Tony was sure a lot was going in on the inside. "I mean if Kelly and this guy got married who's to say that he wouldn't compare her to his dead wife and if they had kids that he wouldn't compare his dead child to theirs? And the guy had not had much patience for geeks so let's say they have more kids. One cool and one geek, would the guy even bother to feign an interest in the kid who was a geek?"

Gibbs knew why Tony was doing this and he really wished he hadn't. It hurt to even think about, on so many levels.

Getting no reaction except a stare Tony decided to go on. "Furthermore the guy builds full size boats in his basement while drinking bourbon, he had almost no friends except the ones who worship him and think he can do no wrong not to mention that the guy is your supervisor who just caused your career to go down the toilet."

Gibbs sighed heavily.

"Tell me you wouldn't raise hell if that man had fallen in love with Kelly?" Tony did not need an answer to that one but he could see the small nod Gibbs gave him.

This was a mess. Tony was right. If Kelly had met that kind of man he would have raised hell. He really couldn't blame Tim for doing the same. He was only looking out for his sister. He thought about what Tony had said or rather what Tim had told Tony. Gibbs could not deny that he had fallen for a certain type and maybe that had something to do with Shannon. But Hannah looked nothing like Shannon and Gibbs didn't want her to either. He loved her the way she was and wished Tim could believe that. More importantly he hoped Hannah knew that.

Gibbs had not really thought about having children with Hannah but he found it was a rather nice thought. If they had a daughter and that daughter being compared to Kelly, he had to admit that could be a possibility but he would never let it go too far. And what if he had a child that turned out to be a little geek? Sure Gibbs wasn't that interested in those things but if his future kid turned out to be sure he would make an effort to be involved. Tim really expected that he would just 'feign an interest' in that child?

There was no reaction on Gibbs face but Tony knew there was turmoil on the inside.

Gibbs slumped back into the chair. He felt utterly defeated. He shouldn't be surprised at all by this. This was from Tim for god sake, the man who didn't do anything without thinking it over first. Gibbs rubbed his tired eyes. He had dealt with it all wrong but he had never meant for Tim to sacrifice his career. "This is a lot to take in."

Tony was actually glad to hear him talk again even if it was with such a weak voice. "Yeah, well at least now you know what has been going on in his mind."

Gibbs rested his head and looked up at the ceiling. Tim wasn't going to trust him anytime soon.

"So it really depends on what you do in the future because Tim really does not trust what you say only what you do. Actions speak louder than words definitely come true here." Tony drank some more beer while waiting for Gibbs to talk.

Still looking up at the ceiling at nothing really Gibbs knew if it had been Kelly he would have made sure she never saw the guy again. Tim was taking a different route but he knew the outcome could be the same. He could lose Hannah and he didn't want that. He also wanted to be on good terms with Tim again but he knew that might not happen for a long time. "So if he doesn't believe what I say then there is no sense in talking to him is there?"

Tony shook his head even though he knew Gibbs wasn't looking at him. "You need to talk to him. No scratch that, you **HAVE** to talk to him. Not talking to him is what got you to this point in the first place. For Hannah's sake you two need to figure out a way to be around each other."

He knew Tony was right. He had to talk to Tim. It was long overdue. He just hoped it would not make things worse. "Yeah."

"You just might want to give him a day or two though. So you both can get your thoughts in order so you don't end up arguing with each other." Tony drank some more while hoping Gibbs would stop staring at the ceiling. "So what is going on in that head of yours?"

Gibbs sighed heavily once again but did not move. "Everything you just said is what is going on in my head."

Tony could very well imagine how the wheels in Gibbs head must be working overtime by now. "Care to elaborate?"

"If it was Kelly who decided to date Franks, I would have killed him by now." That image was not a pleasant one and he couldn't help but to shudder.

Tony was glad that the way he had chosen to tell Gibbs had the older man thinking. "So you're lucky that Tim has been so restrained."

"So far, though I seem to remember he threatened to have me fixed." For some reason that made Gibbs smirk a bit.

Tony started to choke on his beer and tried to cough. "He did what?" More coughing as Gibbs finally turned to look at him "Never mind I don't want to know."

Gibbs sat up and moved to grab another beer. "He's a lot more subtle than I am." He opened it and started to drink.

With the last of his coughing under control Tony spoke again. "He doesn't hate you."

Gibbs stopped drinking while he looked over to Tony again. Not really sure if he believed what had just been said.

"He doesn't like you right now either. But I really doubt its hate." He was getting hungry again. Maybe he should have brought some pizza with him here too.

"That's a comfort." He still wasn't sure but Tony would know better than him. His senior agent was always closer to Tim so he should know.

"Just don't do go and do anything stupid." That earned him another stare from Gibbs. "You do have a way of doing things without thinking about the consequences."

Again, Tony was right. Suddenly, something hit him. He had done something in his past without thinking of the consequences or rather he had not cared about it at the time. Should he tell Tim? No. Should he tell Hannah? Oh, he wasn't sure. How would she react to that? He never felt the need to tell anyone before. Not even when he got married. Now however, it was different but it just might just cause a lot more problems. He decided to wait, for now.

Tony noticed that Gibbs seemed lost and wondered just what the other man had on his mind now. He snapped his fingers which caused Gibbs to blink and turn to face him. "You ok? You seemed miles away."

Gibbs nodded. "I was just thinking."

Tony prodded. "About…..?"

There was no way he was going to tell Tony what he had just thought about. "That I do things without thinking of the consequences. No matter how much I might not want to it might happen again? It's hard to change old habits."

"Yeah I know but you have to try and stop to really think before you do anything you might regret." Tony couldn't help but suspect that Gibbs' mind had been elsewhere. So many times he wished he had some magical device so he could scan and see what Gibbs was thinking. Oh man, if that actually existed that would have been the perfect Christmas present for McGee. He couldn't help but to laugh.

Gibbs wondered what on earth Tony would find so funny right now. "What?"

Tony stopped laughing and tried to hide his smile behind his beer bottle. "Nothing." He sat up and placed the bottle on the table. "Can I crash here? I shouldn't be driving home."

"Sure." Gibbs got up. "I'll be in the basement." He saw Tony making himself comfortable on the couch. Gibbs walked away and headed back to his boat. He wasn't going to get any sleep tonight anyway.


	44. Chapter 44

"You have a nice place here Ziva. Can't believe I haven't been here before. Thanks." Tim accepted the glass he was given.

Ziva took a seat next to him on the couch. "Well, I usually do not invite too many people to come here." She took a sip of her wine and wondered why she felt so nervous. She had decided to come clean with Tim about her feelings for him. At first she had planned not to but Hannah's words echoed in her mind. If she wanted something to happen let Tim know and that now was the time to do it. Why was she so nervous? She was never nervous around men but this was Tim. Lovely, shy but strong Tim.

He watched her and wondered what was going on in her head. She seemed different today. All through dinner she seemed to vanish in to her own thoughts. Was it because of him? Had he done something? He tried to think but he couldn't remember anything. Besides, this was Ziva. If he had done something she would have told him. Still he felt he had to ask. "You ok?" The quick jerk of her head in his direction told him she really had been in her own world.

She felt utterly foolish. "Yes." She decided to go for it. She had never been one to back away from something but she was still extremely nervous. "Tim, I need to tell you something."

He wasn't sure if he liked this. "Should I be worried?"

She shook her head and smiled at him. "No, at least I do not hope so."

He waited as she seemed to get herself together for whatever she was going to tell him. Since when did Ziva need to do that?

"The thing is Tim, I really enjoy spending time with you and I hope I have been of help to you." When he gave her a nod and a smile she was encouraged to go on. "I'd like to think we have become even greater friends, yes?"

"Definitely. You've been great Ziva and I enjoy spending time with you too." He didn't want to start hoping just in case he was wrong.

"That's good." She took a deep breath and calmly continued. "I do not know when it started and this was not something that was planned but one day it was there." Ok, this was it. "Tim, do not feel you have to respond to this in anyway but I want you to know that I have developed feelings for you that goes beyond that of friends." She watched him carefully and she had to admit that the big smile that started to appear on his face was not something she had expected.

This was big. There was no way he would have guessed that she had feelings for him. He looked quickly at his hands feeling rather shy but right away he looked back up at Ziva. "I—I… " Darn, why did the stuttering had to come now? He wanted to look away again but before he got a chance he felt a hand on his. He looked into those lovely brown eyes and felt somewhat more relaxed.

He was adorable when he was like this. Clearly he had not expected this but she wished he would say something so she knew just what was on his mind.

Ok, he had it under control. He hoped. "W.. would i.. it shock you …i ..if I.. I said that... "Ok, stay calm. "That I have fee.. feelings for you too?" Phew, he made it.

Ziva couldn't help but to smile. He felt the same way. "Yes. You never showed any signs that you did? Then again you've had a lot on your mind."

He nodded. "Neither d.. d.. did you." This was embarrassing. Tim had feelings for her and she had feelings for him. So why couldn't he stop stuttering? All thoughts vanished as Ziva released his hand to bring it up to stroke his cheek. That felt nice.

"I know. I thought perhaps I was the only one who felt like this." His face was like silk. Knowing that he felt the same she couldn't help herself she moved forward and pressed her lips against his. It was a quick but soft kiss and just before she withdrew she felt him kiss her back.

It was over in a second or two but Tim knew he wanted more. Suddenly he didn't feel so shy anymore besides Ziva had kissed him first. He moved his head and captured her lips again. He felt surprised reaction but it was over in a moment as she responded whole heartedly. Mouths opened and tongues met. It was a hot dance that soon had them both gasping for air.

Ziva drew back and smiled at him. "Wow." This had gone better than any scenario she had had in her head.

"Wow." He repeated. He took one of her hand's in his and soon her fingers intertwined with his. "So, how come you told me this now?" Yes, stuttering was gone. Phew.

"Actually I have to thank you sister for that." She hoped that by bringing up his sister she had not put him in a dark mood. Thankfully that did not seem to be the case.

Hannah? That was interesting. "Oh, how come?"

She looked at their joined hands and found that it felt so right. "She figured out that I was interested in you and if I wanted something to happen I should tell you. That you care about me."

He grinned a bit. "Well, she was right. Guess I have to thank her too."

She looked up at him again and smiled. "So, you are pleased?"

"Of course. I.. I probably wouldn't have said anything myself and my sister would know that. I'm glad you told me." He couldn't help but to move forward and kiss her cheek.

He was such a sweet man. So different from any men she had ever known and that's just what she liked so much about him.

"So, er,.. does this mean we're dating now?" Now he felt foolish but he wasn't really good at these things.

"If you'd like." Yes so different and she wouldn't want it any other way.

"I would." He replied in honesty.

She squeezed his hand and felt him squeeze back. "Good. Me too."

He had to tell her. "You know I actually thought you might end up with Tony."

She shook her head "No, I like him but I do not like him in that way. By the way, since we are talking about friends what about Abby? You think she will be ok with this?"

"I don't know. She can be a bit possessive even though she was the one that broke up with me." He had been sad at the time but in the long run it had been for the best.

"If you do not mind me asking, why did she?" She hoped that she had not gone too far.

"I wanted a relationship and she simply wanted to fool around." In retrospect if Abby had not ended it he probably would have. Suddenly he grinned widely. "You know, this is the first good thing that has come out of my leaving Gibbs' team."

Now Ziva was smiling broadly as well. "You're right. If this had not happened we wouldn't have spent so much time together and this might not have happened."

"So, Hannah being with Gibbs caused me to leave his team caused us to date." He had to laugh a bit. "Should I thank Gibbs?" Ziva seemed surprised at that and frankly he had been too even though he was the one that had said it. "Bet that would shock the hell out of him?" Now that was something he might enjoy. "Neh, but I will thank my sister."

Ziva nodded. "I am however; glad we got this opportunity no matter how it came about."

Tim couldn't have agreed more. "Me to Ziva, me to."

When Tim sat back he drew her back with her and she fitted perfectly with him as he wrapped an arm around her. She could get used to this. "Will it be a problem if we date? I do not want to cause problem at NCIS."

She understood what he was talking about and she had it covered already. "No, I checked with Shepard before. It will not cause any problems. Should someone tell Gibbs?"

He shrugged. "It's up to you. I know he is your co-worker and your friend. However if one of us talks to Hannah then she can tell him. Or knowing Abby, he'll hear it about three seconds after she does."

"Good point, IF we talk to Hannah." She looked at him with a question on her eyes.

"When, when we talk to Hannah." Tim smiled at her and received a smile in return right before she kissed him once again.


	45. Chapter 45

**Thanks to literatefool again for giving Ducky some very wise words.**

'''''''''''''''''''

Ducky was not expecting anyone at this late hour. However, he had a pretty good idea of who had been knocking on his door and as he opened it he could see that he had been right. "Jethro."

Gibbs gave the other man a grim smile. "Hey, Duck. I know it's late but…."

"Nonsense, come on in." He gestured for his friend to enter and as the other man did Ducky couldn't help but see just how awful Jethro looked. "What brings you here?" He asked but he already knew.

Gibbs walked into the living room and sat down. "Tony came to visit me yesterday. He wanted to talk about Tim."

Ducky poured a drink for the other man but did not say anything. He simply waited.

"Told me some things Tim had said. Why he has such problems with my relationship with Hannah." Gibbs accepted the glass that Ducky handed him but settled it between his hands.

Ducky sat down but still did not say anything. He knew Jethro had more to say.

"I knew he had problems with the relationship but now that I know just what he is thinking I don't know how to change his mind." Gibbs raised the glass and swallowed the liquid. It tasted more like medicine. Maybe it was because of how he felt. He was sad, angry, lost, alone and so many more emotions that fought each other in his body.

Ducky wasn't sure if he was hearing this right so he had to ask. "Are you giving up?" He doubted that the answer to that question was yes.

Now Gibbs looked up at him. "What?"

Ducky drank some of his drink. "You and Hannah, Are you giving up on that?"

"No, never." He realized the way he said it that it must have sounded like he was. "I'm not." There was no way he was giving up. He loved Hannah. He just wished there was some way he could be on good terms with Tim again.

Ducky nodded and again waited.

"Tim has so many reasons as to why me being with Hannah is a bad idea and I still think there is more he is not saying." He placed the empty glass on the table.

Ducky put down his own glass. "Why don't you tell me some of those reasons?"

Gibbs sighed as he remembered what Tony had told him. "That I have three ex-wives who basically now despise me, I have always tried to find a substitute for Shannon and if I have more kids will I compare a future daughter to Kelly. I build boats in my basements while drinking bourbon; have almost no friends except those who worship me?" Gibbs looked at Ducky at this point.

"I like you but I don't worship you." He tried to make a joke out of it and as Gibbs smiled at him albeit a small one it told him he had succeeded.

"And as Tim's supervisor I caused his career to take a nosedive." Gibbs really regretted that.

"Well you did. You cannot deny that." Ducky watched as the other man looked up at him again.

Gibbs sighed. He had not meant to. "I didn't mean to Duck I.."

Ducky interrupted him as he leaned forward in his chair. "Jethro! Did you mean to begin a relationship with Hannah? Did you choose to?"

"Yes. I chose to but..."

Ducky interrupted him once again as he continued to push. "You chose to not tell her the full ramifications of your choices?"

"Yes Ducky but.."

God the man was stubborn. It was like talking to a brick walls at times. "You both knew that this could cause problems with Tim? You talked about it?"

"Well, yes but.."

Ok, now they were getting somewhere. "So you chose, and I suspect supported her choice, to lie by omission to Tim?"

"I didn't lie! I.."

Oh dear, here we go again. It was time to take out the heavy artillery. "You took her phone calls secretly. You spent time with her, involving her lying to her brother about why she wasn't with him or were canceling plans. You climbed in and out of her bed in the mornings, and looked Tim in the eye knowing this. Knowing that every lie, every secret, was going to blow up his career when it came to light. And this isn't a lie of omission?"

"I..I.."

That fact that his friend seemed speechless was something that Ducky took as a good sign. That meant that he was finally starting to get it. "Thank Goodness that nothing happened in the field when he would have needed your support and back up in an investigation. Can you see what IA or a defense attorney would have done when they found out his supervisor was sleeping with his sister? Do you even realize the jeopardy you put that man in?"

"I didn't think about it."

Ducky did not believe that for one moment. "Don't lie to me Jethro. You thought about it. You just decided to deal with it later. Or that it wouldn't happen."

"Ducky I..."

Now for the final touch. "You screwed up royally. Why don't you own up to it? YOU made the choices and the decisions. YOU did it with full knowledge of the consequences. YOU threw away your team, and YOU threw away the respect of a young man that will likely someday be director. YOU may have managed to permanently damage Tim and Hannah's relationship. Not to mention a lot of others. So OWN UP TO IT!" Ducky relaxed back into his chair while waiting for a reply that he knew would come.

Gibbs was stunned. Oh God this was so fucked up and it was his fault. When he spoke his voice was eerily calm. "I know this is my fault and I know I screwed up but I can't go back and fix it."

"No you cannot fix what has been done. However, maybe now you will think before you do next time." Ducky took a sip of his drink while he figured that might not actually happen. Jehtro had a way of doing and then thinking. He did know though that he had gotten the younger man to think and that was a start. "About young Timothy's other concerns let's talk about them. Let's start With Kelly? Would you?"

Gibbs ran a hand through his hair not quite used to the quick switch in Ducky's behavior. "If I have another daughter someday then I am sure it would stir up memories of Kelly and I might even compare them at some point." He replied honestly.

Ducky understood what was being said but he knew he had to push Jethro a little more. "Of course but the more important question is would you keep comparing this new child to Kelly? That you would see Kelly in this new child once and again would no doubt happen BUT would you keep molding this child after Kelly?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No, Kelly was… special. Heck Duck, every child is special. There is no way I could mold someone to be like Kelly. That wouldn't be fair to anyone. No, I could never do that and I wouldn't want to either."

Ducky smiled a little. "And what is this about Shannon?"

"Well, that I would compare Hannah to Shannon. You know, I may have only married red heads after Shannon but I have never really compared them to her. Shannon was one of a kind. Just like Hannah is one of a kind. Hell, even my ex's were one of a kind's although not necessary in a good way." He couldn't help but chuckle at the thought.

Ducky let out a small laugh himself. "But you do see where Timothy is coming from don't you?"

Gibbs sighed as he nodded. "Yeah, I do. I just screwed up this so badly with him I don't know if I can make it right."

"You really should talk to him about this. Tell him how you feel." Ducky took his glass and another sip of his drink.

Gibbs got up and walked over to the window. It was dark out. Just as the dark mood he felt he was in now. "I will but I've been told that Tim will believe my actions rather than my words."

Ducky nodded to himself. "Well, it appears you have that in common Jethro."

Gibbs turned away from the window wondering if he had actually heard what he thought he heard. "What?"

There was no way Gibbs had not seen that at some point. "I have known you for far too many years to know that you follow that rule yourself. Pretty strictly too."

Gibbs didn't know what to say.

Ducky had to chuckle a bit at the somewhat dumfounded look on his friend. "Not much fun being held to your own standards and your own rules is it?"

"I.."

Ducky interrupted him right away. "Don't embarrass yourself. You know as well as I do this is the truth. Tim is going by your actions, the same way you did when you decided to draft him onto your team. You didn't let his stuttering and inexperienced ramblings form your judgment. You went by his actions when he stayed in the heat to get the computers working or stayed at the crime scene all night. You two are alike in a lot of ways."

Gibbs shook his head. "I doubt that."

Ducky shook his head at that. "I don't. I talk to both of you a lot. You're a matched pair of mules really."

Gibbs hung his head slightly. Were they really? "So my actions told him a lot. And now my actions have to get me back in his life."

"That is if he wants you in his life. Neither of you exactly rolled out the red carpet to each other before. I doubt he is going to now."

That Gibbs agreed on. He had always been closer to the others on the team. Still, he wasn't sure why. "Damn. So what do I do?"

He gave it a moment before answering. "Start with talking and taking responsibility. And then.. don't screw it up. Act in a way that a brother who has fought tooth and nail to keep his family together would want his sister's partner to act. And hope that at some point, he decides you can have a spot in his life."

Gibbs was in for an uphill battle he knew it. "God, this is going to be hard."

"Indeed." Ducky now stood up and walked over to the window as well.

Gibbs turned back to watch the darkness. "I don't know what to say to him. It feels like it's a lost cause."

Ducky shook his head suspecting that Jethro saw him in the window reflection. "No, you have to talk to him. All you can do is speak from the heart. If he believes you or not that you have no power over."

Gibbs knew Ducky was right. And Tony was right. He needed to talk to Tim but the question was when? The only thing he knew was that he had to do it before he saw Hannah again.

"I honestly don't know. I fell for Hannah so fast I got caught up in it. I'm not used to that." He smiled at the memory. "I really do not know but I never meant for Tim to get hurt like this." He honestly meant that. "You know seeing Hannah break down like that, I felt so utterly hopeless. Now she wants to be alone. She called Tony and he told me." He sighed once again. "Tim told me not to contact her and I already want to." He felt another squeeze on his shoulder. "I will wait but it's difficult. Difficult to know she wants to be away from me but at the same time I can understand. This has not been easy on her and I didn't see just how hard it became for her until it was too late."

"You cannot beat yourself to much on that. Timothy did not see it either and he knows her better than anyone. At least now you know and you can make sure it does not happen again." Ducky walked back to his chair and seated himself once again. "Just make sure you and Timothy talk before you see Hannah again. You need to work something out."

"I know." Gibbs whispered knowing Ducky would probably not hear him. "I know."


	46. Chapter 46

Christmas party. How he hated it. He didn't want to be here but Jen had insisted. So here he was, mingling but not bothering to hide his discomfort. At least most people had the common sense to stay away from him. Those that did not were either stupid or wanted to be nice. He did not care which. Not only that but he also had to attend a New Year's party too. He was really having no luck these days. There was only one person that could make this better and he didn't even know where she was or when he would see her again. These last couple of days seemed to have gone by in slow motion and he wondered if that was how it would feel like until she got in touch again.

He thought back to his conversation with Ducky. They had spent a long evening together and Ducky had told him again some things that Tony had already mentioned. The difference was that Ducky really made sure to point out just how much Tim had trusted Gibbs and how much the younger man, no doubt, had felt let down by his actions. Gibbs knew Ducky was right. He had let Tim down. God, this was a mess.

"Gibbs."

"Johnson." He replied not even bother to look at the other man. At least Johnson took the hint and continued on. He swirled the liquid in his glass and briefly thought about calling Hannah. No, he was not going to go there… yet. Still Christmas was getting closer and he really hoped to at least hear from her before then.

"Gibbs."

"Freeman." Again, he did not look up and again, the other man moved on. He drank some of the drink and hoped this travesty would end soon.

"Gibbs."

This time he did look up and into a familiar pair of green eyes. "McGee." Tim did not move but just stood there and looked at him. He wasn't sure what the younger man wanted right now seeing as he had ignored Gibbs' phone calls. "I tried calling you."

"I know."

Of course he knew. "I left messages."

"I know." Tim knew he really shouldn't have avoided Gibbs. He knew they needed to talk so why had he stalled? He wasn't sure. "Are you enjoying yourself?" That earned him a stare. "Yeah, me neither. Why don't we exchange one unpleasant thing for another?"

Gibbs knew what he was saying and gave him a brief nod. As Tim turned and started to walk away Gibbs drank up the rest of his drink, stood up and followed Tim.

Across the room Abby saw them and gently jabbed her elbow into Tony.

Tony turned to her and saw that she was looking at something. He looked out and right away knew what she was seeing. Tim was walking away and Gibbs was not far behind. This was it. Win or lose; this was it.

Tim knew Gibbs was not far behind him. He had not meant to have this talk now but when he had seen Gibbs sitting there alone and knew at some point this had to be done so he figured, why not? It wasn't like Tim was enjoying himself much anyway. He opened a door to a room he knew was empty and entered it.

Gibbs followed and closed the door behind him. He watched as Tim took out a chair and sat down. He did the same. He looked at Tim and Tim seemed to stare back at him. He wasn't sure of who should begin first so he waited.

As they now watched each other across the table Tim found that this felt somewhat uncomfortable. Why didn't Gibbs say anything? Fine, he might as well start this. Tim took a deep breath and began to speak. "I know Tony talked to you."

"Yeah." Gibbs did not want to say too much too soon. Better to let Tim do most of the talking for now.

"Yeah, that's all you've got to say?" He knew that getting Gibbs to talk at times was tough but for god's sake this wasn't the time to clam up.

Gibbs sighed and clasped his hands over the table. "What do you want me to say? That I am sorry?" Gibbs decided right then to do just that because if anyone had screwed up it was him. "I am sorry Tim. Sorry for how this has affected you, sorry that I didn't tell you about me and Hannah's relationship. Sorry that you and Hannah's relationship is suffering because of me." He took a deep breath and really put strength behind his next words. "I am sorry that I betrayed your trust and faith in me."

Tim had to admit he had not really expected those words but he didn't let it show. He needed time to process this. "It doesn't fix anything."

"I know." Gibbs wringed his hands not sure where to go next.

Tim's own hands were trying to soothe out wrinkles on his pants leg's that weren't even there. "Aren't you going to deny my worries?"

Gibbs shrugged. "What is the point? You don't believe anything I say anyway." He immediately regretted that and continued to speak. "You know Tony came up with a good way of telling me how you felt about this. Did he tell you that?"

"No." Tim couldn't help but to wonder what that meant.

"He painted up a scenario for me. Instead of Hannah he made it about Kelly. How I would have felt if all this had been about Kelly." Gibbs had to admit that had made an impact.

There was a tiny smile on Tim's lips. If anything was going to get a reaction out of Gibbs it would be that. "Bet that didn't feel too good?"

"No." He had to admit that it didn't.

"So you understand why I feel the way I do?" Tim wasn't sure why he asked.

"I do and I respect that you are looking out for your sister. I just..." Something was bubbling up in Gibbs and he was fighting to not let it go overboard.

"Yes?" Tim knew that look. "Just what…?" He pushed not so gently.

"I NEVER compared anyone to Shannon. Not even my ex-wife's. You may not believe that but it's the truth." He tried to search Tim's face for some kind of emotion but found nothing.

Tim wasn't sure if he believed the older man. Either Gibbs lied which was something he was good at or Gibbs really believed it himself.

"And Kelly.." He chuckled slightly causing Tim to narrow his eyes at him. At least it was a reaction. "If I ever had another daughter I don't think I could help but to compare a bit but I'd like to think I wouldn't go too far." He shook his head as to not get lost in memories again. "And this about if I would have a child that turned out to be a geek, what the hell was that?" There was anger in his voice now.

There might have been a time when Tim would have been intimidated by that anger but not now. "You had no patience for me when I tried to explain things that you found complicated. You love Abby like a daughter but even with her you had no patience when she spoke about something that was over your head."

Gibbs knew Tim was right but still he wouldn't be like that with his own child would he? He really hoped he would not. "I can't argue with that but when it comes to your own child it's different."

Tim wondered if Gibbs was trying to convince himself or him. "Perhaps."

"Besides if I did Hannah would kick my ass." He was surprised when Tim let out a small laugh at that. "You don't think she would?"

Tim smirked at the man across the table. "She probably would. The thing is Tony said the exact same words to me. That Hannah would kick your ass."

That brought out a small smile from Gibbs as well only to be replaced by a heavy sigh seconds later. "Tim, I know I'm not even close to being perfect, I have my flaws and God knows; I can understand why you would rather see probably anyone else with your sister then me. I screwed up how I handled this with you. I screwed up by not telling the consequences to Hannah about what this might mean to you. I was selfish and screwed up on so many levels."

Tim heard the emotions that threatened to break through the calm surface. He thought for a moment he had seen something in the other man he had not seen before. Yet, he wasn't sure what it was.

"I don't only want Hannah but I want you in my life too." He looked at Tim whose eyes seemed to have grown a little in size. Or did he just imagine that?

Tim wondered if those words had been spoken with truth or not. "That's probably because if I wouldn't be in your life chances are Hannah wouldn't either."

"True but I do mean it. We've never been more than co-workers." He paused trying to find the right words. "Although I wouldn't say that I have very close relationships with say either Tony or Ziva, it has still have been closer than the one you and I had. You always seemed much more private and in retrospect I should have pushed to get to know you better. Although I am not sure how you would have felt about that."

Not a close..? Gibbs was not serious was he? Tim thought about the last words Gibbs had said and Tim knew he wasn't really sure himself. He never really saw himself as having any kind of relationship with Gibbs that was outside of work. "Well as it stands now we have for Hannah's sake."

"Is that the way you see it? That you 'have to'?" There was no response from Tim. He decided not to push the issue for now. There was something else he had to ask. "Tim, do I really favor some people over others?"

Tim's eyebrows rose a bit at hearing that question. "Yes." Did Gibbs really not see that?

"I didn't know I did. Well, except for Abby but we've known each other for a long time and Ducky is one of my closets' friends. I'm not trying to excuse myself but I really did not know that I did that." He felt out of his element here. He waited for some sort of response but nothing came. "Guess I really am getting to know myself now too."

That was rather profound coming from his former boss. "How does that feel?"

"I don't like how I've treated the people in my life. I can see why you would have trouble liking a man like that. I would too." Tim just shrugged at him and Gibbs decided to ask something else that had been on his mind. "I know about your fears but I can't help there is something more you didn't tell Tony."

Gibbs never did miss a thing did he? "I can't help but think that someday you will hurt her. I don't mean not talking to her and ignoring her, which by her words you have already done at least on more than one occasion." There was a brief satisfaction at seeing the older man look down in shame but just as quick he was looking back at Tim with a new light.

"You think I'll hurt her?" Did he mean like her ex-boyfriend's or God forbid even worse?

"Almost every man in Hannah's life has hurt her in some way. The thing is; I bet she expects you to do it to and I can't help but to think she might be right." He waited to see how Gibbs would react to that.

He had not expected this. Hannah and Tim both thought he would hurt Hannah in some way. "Hannah think's that?"

Tim knew the only reason he brought it up was to try and save Hannah from more pain. He also knew that if Gibbs would hurt her in any way then he would make Gibbs pay for it. "Like I said, almost every man has so why not you too? If she doesn't think it now she probably will sooner or later."

Gibbs felt a great bit of sadness that Hannah would think that. "And you think it too."

Tim sighed. "If not intentionally but you do have a way of doing things without thinking."

Yeah, he had. Tony had pointed it out too. The thing was; could he change that? He wanted to but something's were so difficult to change. "I know."

Tom continued to make his point clear. "Gibbs, there is a lot about her, and us, you don't know about yet. To be blunt, you're going to be in for a rough road. And most of the men in her life up to now haven't been able to handle it."

He nodded determined not to let Hannah or Tim down. If Tim said it was going to be rough then so be it.

Tim knew this would be in Gibbs mind for a while now. "Look, we can argue about this back and forth but it will do no good. For now, we need to find a way to establish a peaceful co-existence."

Gibbs looked up at him and nodded. "I agree. What do you have in mind?"

Tim thought about it for a second or two. "I don't know what Hannah is going to ask us for, but I can guess at  
some of it."

Gibbs did not say anything as he waited for Tim to continue.

"So; I will attend the group functions, including holidays and birthdays, and we'll be polite to each other."

Gibbs started to open his mouth but did not get very far before Tim spoke again.

"And before you say you never attend that stuff anyway-I got news for you. My sister loves the family stuff. And she will be expecting you to attend a lot more of them. Now, that is an argument between the two of you." Tim cannot help but to smile a little. "But if you don't, I expect that you won't be an issue for me for very long."

He wasn't at all thrilled to see Tim smiling at that but he really couldn't blame him. "I see. Thanks for the heads up." Family gathering, he could do that.

Tim shrugged. "Don't mention it. Now, I think we can get two exceptions for the show up and play nice rule- my birthday and your birthday. No need to have folks you don't want at your party attend."

Gibbs had to object to that. "What if I want you at my birthday?"

He had not seen that one coming. No problem. "Ok, we aren't obligated to invite or attend. Call it a free pass."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow at that. "Ok."

"And- when she and I have made plans and are out together- don't call, don't show up. Unless someone is dead, dying or there has been some sort of accident." That earned him a stare from Gibbs. "I don't care if you are turning into a useless puddle of goo because you've been away from her for ten minutes...resist. And I will do the same  
for you. No intentionally showing up or doing anything to disrupt your plans."

"I don't turn into puddles of goo." He most certainly didn't. Did he?

Tim smirked again at that. "Right. You would rather I say 'I don't care if you are hurting like a teenage boy whose parents won't let him spend the afternoon in her room'?"

Gibbs let out a small groan. "Let's not use either and I agree to the point."

He really didn't have choice did he? "Good. Now; what do you need to make this work?"

Gibbs only needed one thing. "Don't try to break us up."

Tim's chuckled a bit. "Please. If I tried, it would make you that much more desirable. I won't try to destroy you."

Gibbs nodded still not really used to this very different and strong Tim in protective brother mode.

Satisfied Tim has to ad one thing. "But I won't do much to support it either."

Gibbs nodded again. "Ok. What will it take to get your support and your friendship? What will it take to gain back your trust?"

Tim wondered briefly if those things would be possible. "Gibbs, honestly, don't you think establishing the peaceful co-existence is going to be hard enough? Even not knowing what Hannah will ask of us?"

"But it is still what I will need to make it work." Saying that he really wanted Tim's friendship was out of the question for now. Tim would probably not believe him anyway.

Tim would not budge. "Let's get Hannah talking to us, and get through the holidays. We can re-evaluate later."

There was no way he was going to get any further with Tim right now. "Ok, fair enough."

Tim stood up. This had gone as well as it could go. "So we're in agreement?"

Gibbs stood up as well. Tim made it sound so formal. "Yeah."

Tim reached out a hand to Gibbs.

Gibbs sighed sadly as he took Tim's hand in his.

Tim shook Gibbs' hand and released it. He turned to walk away but something stopped him. He turned back to face Gibbs once again. "I know we have to address this. Figure out our relationship. If there is going to be one. But this knocked me on my ass. And I am so tired. And I really miss my sister. So, for right now, let's just try to make some peace. Give me some time to get back on my feet. Then we can see where we are. Ok?"

Gibbs nodded feeling a bit relieved. It was a good sign that Tim might be open to change things for the better between them. He could also understand that Tim needed more time "Ok."

Tim gave a brief nod also. "Ok, let's go back out there before Tony, Ducky, Ziva, and Abby comes in to make sure we haven't killed each other."

Gibbs couldn't help himself. He had to ask. "When do you think Hannah will call?"

There really was only one way to answer that. "Well, my money is on whenever Tony calls her to tell her we talked."

"You're probably right." And he was hoping it would be soon.

Tim turned and this time started for the door. When he opened it two very familiar figures fell at his feet. He wasn't at all surprised.

Gibbs walked up next to Tim and looked at the figures on the floor that were busy trying to stand up.

Abby stood up and put on a huge smile. This was not good. "Sorry. It was Tony's fault."

Tony now stood as well and looked over at Abby. "My fault? It was your idea."

Tim did not say anything but walked passed them out to the festivities to find Ziva.

Gibbs glared at the two people in front of him that actually seemed to be ashamed themselves. Good! "I better not catch the two of you doing that again."

"No Boss."

"No Gibbs."

Tony wanted to know. He had to know. He had not heard much so he asked. "How did it go?"

Abby eagerly looked at Gibbs. She so wanted to know what had happened in there.

Gibbs really did not feel like talking. However he knew Tony might call Hannah so he answered while giving the younger man a small smile. "Fine." That was all he was going to say and without another word he left the two of them standing there.


	47. Chapter 47

Tim stomped trying to get warm. It wasn't really a low temperature out but a very cold wind that would not die down. He really hoped that Hannah would be here soon. When she had called she had sounded much more like herself and that made him happy. He had missed her. There was a car that was getting closer and Tim looked up in time to see Gibbs park. Tim placed his hands in his pockets hoping for more warmth. He watched as Gibbs got out his car and soon the other man was heading his way.

The cold wind on his neck made him shiver as he started to walk towards the lonely figure. Tim was waiting outside Hannah's front door and Gibbs hoped this would go well. When she had called he felt like a huge stone had been lifted of his shoulders. She sounded just like she used to and he had been incredible relieved to have heard her voice. He couldn't wait to see her. "Hi Tim."

"Gibbs." He took a step aside so he wouldn't collide with Gibbs.

"Been here long?"

"No."

"So you were right. Tony called Hannah."

"Yeah."

One words answers. Not good. "Hannah sounded much better." He tried hoping he could get Tim to say something more than just one word sentences.

"Yeah she did." He turned to look at Gibbs who tried his best to keep warm as well. "She called Abby."

He had not heard that but it did not surprise him. "Yeah, how did that go?"

"Good. They got things sorted out." Tim looked out towards the road again. "Ducky invited you for Christmas?"

Gibbs knew that Ducky had invited Tim also although the younger man had not said if he would show up or not. "Yep. He invited Hannah too. You are coming right?"

"That's what we agreed on besides Hannah probably wants me there." And speaking of his sister, where was she?

Gibbs decided to go for it. "Tim, I really would like you to be there too."

Tim turned to look at Gibbs again.

"I want you to go and have fun because you want to not because you feel you have too."

Tim shrugged not really sure if he believed Gibbs. "Yeah, well I guess I am going to Ducky's. At first I thought that I maybe had to work that night, cover for one of the guys with family." He notice Gibbs raising an eyebrow and just stare at him. "You know, a family consisting of small children expecting Santa."

Gibbs should have expected something like that from Tim. "Good of you."

"In any case, they told me this afternoon I am not needed. Though rumor has it that a little Scotsman was seen visiting around the office. And an Italian. I am sure they had nothing to do with it."

Gibbs chuckled at hearing that. That had to be a sight. "I'm really glad you'll be there."

Still Tim wasn't so sure. He looked out towards the road again and this time saw something familiar.

Gibbs noticed Tim smiling and followed his gaze. When he saw what Tim was looking at Gibbs smiled as well.

Hannah parked her car, grabbed the bags from the seat next to her and opened the car door. Once outside she locked the car. She turned and started walking towards the two men that were smiling at her. As she got closer she could see they seemed a bit chilly. "What are you two doing out here?"

"And it's good to see you too sis." Tim sarcastically answered.

Gibbs could not take his eyes off her. She looked so much better than the last time he had seen her.

Tim took a few steps to meet her and gave her a hug. "Waiting for you what do you think?"

Hannah locked eyes with Gibbs over Tim's shoulder and smiled at him. When Tim withdrew from her she spoke again. "You both have keys. Why didn't you wait inside?" It was rather funny how she now was looking at two very embarrassed people. "It didn't occur to you did it?"

"No." Tim was so used to _not _using the key lately he actually forgot he had one.

Gibbs simply shook his head. How could he have forgotten that?

Hannah let out a laugh as she walked passed them and brought out her own key. Moments later the door was opened and all three were in the hallway. "Make yourself comfortable in the living room. I brought some food so I'll just get some plates."

Gibbs was about to move when Tim spoke to him. "Why don't you wait in the living room? I want to talk to Hannah for a second." Ok, he had to wait a little longer. He could do that.

Tim turned not waiting for a reply. He followed Hannah into the kitchen and started to help her get the plates. "I have something for you."

"Yeah, what is that?" She brought out the food from her bags.

Tim reached inside his jacket and brought out a card.

Now Hannah was curious. She accepted the card he handed her. She opened it and read it. _Thank You, Ziva._ Hannah looked back up at Tim and smiled. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." He confirmed as Hannah threw her arms around him. He had to brace himself so he did not fall over but he returned the embrace. "That goes for me too."

"No need to thank me. Just want you to be happy that's all." She withdrew while giving him a kiss on is cheek.

"I know. Come on let's go out there before Gibbs has a fit." He took the plates, fork and knives with him.

"Ha Ha." Hannah soon followed Tim with the food in her hands.

Gibbs looked up when he heard the footsteps getting closer. He watched them as they sat down plates and food on the table.

"Oh, glasses. Be right back." Hannah made a swift turn and headed back to the kitchen.

This time Gibbs made his move. He got up and passed Tim. "Be right back."

Tim simply rolled his eyes. That man had no patience. He sat down and helped himself to some food.

She closed the cupboard when she felt someone behind her. Hands that were placed on her shoulders turned her around and before she knew what was happening she was being kissed. She felt Gibbs hand's cup her face as she kissed him back. She withdrew and smiled at him. "Well hello to you too. Miss me did you?"

"You have no idea." Seeing the real thing in front of him was so much better than the images of her he had kept in his head.

She nudged at him. "Come on. Let's go eat. Grab the soda would you?"

Tim saw them when approach and scooted over so Hannah could sit next to him on the couch.

She sat down and placed the glasses on the table while Gibbs put down the soda.

"So Hannah how are you?" Tim asked between bites.

Being seated Gibbs halted a bit as he waited for her to answer.

"I'm fine." There was a look given her way and she spoke again. "Really I am."

"You're not lying to us are you?" Gibbs asked rather lightly so she wouldn't take it the wrong way.

She smiled at him. "No I am not but enough about me. Tony told me you two talked. How did that go?"

Tim took one of the sodas and opened it. "Not bad."

"Ok, well he also told me about your reservations Tim."

Tim poured some of the soda in to his glass. "I bet. Speaking of bet's…." He didn't get far when Hannah interrupted him.

"I know. You'll get your money." She said as Tim chuckled slightly.

Gibbs wasn't sure what was going on between the two of them. He could always ask later.

Hannah shifted a bit so she was now sitting more in front of Tim rather than to his side. "Tim, I need to tell you something." She waited until she had his full attention. "I was the one that suggested that we keep quiet about our relationship when it began. That was wrong of me. I should have been honest with you from the start but I was not and for that I am truly sorry."

Tim reached out and squeezed one of her hands. "I appreciate you saying that. What really made me angry was that this isn't the first time you've done that. You've always had that little sneaky side when you want something. And it keeps biting both of us on the butt. I have never hurt you. I have always stood behind you. And then he didn't tell you about the consequences before you two got together. And he didn't exactly push you to be up front and honest. So it seems to me that you didn't exactly bring out the best in each other. I hope this isn't the best you bring out in each other."

Hannah blinked back some tears knowing full well he was, as always, truthful. "But if I had known and we had been honest? Would it have been different?"

Tim sighed. "Well, maybe I wouldn't have spent six months completely pissed off at you. Would I have been happy? No. How different would it have been? Could we have made it a positive instead of this mess? We'll never know."

She had to say something. "Tim...I..."

"Yeah." He knew what she wanted to say. "I really don't like sneaky Hannah." Gibbs opened his mouth but Tim cut him off. "Yeah, I know. You're sorry you screwed up. I got it. Let's move on."

Gibbs sighed heavily as he stabbed at the food with his fork.

"Tim?" Her voice was fragile.

Again he knew what she wanted to ask. "We're ok. Just try to keep sneaky Hannah away ok?" He winked at her trying to lighten the mood.

Even though her eyes were moist she was now giving him a small smile.

"Look it's done." Tim removed his hand with one last squeeze. "And as for my reservations we covered them."

She shifted slightly again and looked at Tim then at Gibbs. "Want to tell me about it?"

When Tim didn't answer but simply stared at him Gibbs took that as a sign the he should do the talking. "Tim think's I will compare you to Shannon and I told him I never compared anyone to her. She was one of a kind." He made sure to lock eyes with Hannah before he spoke again. "And so are you and I wouldn't want that to change."

She gave him a brief smile.

"The fact that if I had another daughter that I might compare her to Kelly. Well, that is bound to happen but I like to think I wouldn't go too far." He looked at Tim before he spoke again. "Tim is right that I really have no patience with the geek stuff he and Abby tell me BUT if I had a child that turned out like that than I would be more than happy to get involved." There was determination in his voice now.

Tim didn't say anything as he drank some of his soda. He really didn't care if Gibbs brought up the other reasons or not. These were the most important ones.

Hannah waited but neither man said anything so she decided to bring up one of the things that were important to her. "What about your treatment of Tim?"

Tim stopped eating and looked at her.

Gibbs knew what she was talking about. "You mean that I seemed to have a closer relationship with all the others but Tim?"

Hannah simply nodded in response.

"I wouldn't say I have a close relationship with the others but yes, I understand where you are coming from. Tony, Abby and even Ziva are more open then Tim. He always seemed so private and I did not want to push. I always thought I would alienate him even more if I did. In retrospect maybe I should have pushed." He wasn't sure what more he could say.

Tim decided to speak up. "When you left for Mexico Tony was devastated. Do you have any idea how much pizza and beer I had to swallow? Abby cried for a week before she started her vigil. Ducky was mad at everyone. YOU maybe not think you are close. They sure do." There was a surprised look on Gibbs' face and Tim wondered if Gibbs really had been that clueless. "They live by your rules, run to you for affirmation, and the wrong word from you crushes them. Perhaps you need to look a bit harder at your relationships." Tim sighed in frustration and looked back at Hannah. "But the truth is- seeing what the others had to do to get in his life and his attention, I really didn't want to get to know him outside of work anyway."

Gibbs had no idea that all that had been going on after he left. Did they all really feel that close to him? Damn, he really was a bastard.

Hannah spoke up with a low voice. "And now I'm pushing you to do just that."

It was said with such sadness it almost broke Tim's heart. "If I really wasn't willing to try, believe me I wouldn't even be here."

Gibbs couldn't help to wonder if Tim had just lied or if he had been telling the truth.

"Ok." She believed him, but wasn't sure how far he was willing to go. "So what happened when you talked? Did you come to some sort of understanding?"

"That I will attend group stuff like holiday's and such and we both will be polite to each other. Although on our birthday's we do no need to feel obligated to show up. When you and I are doing something together he does not call or show up." Tim paused briefly knowing that his next words would sting a bit. "I won't try to damage your relationship but I won't really be supportive of it either."

"Ok." She could still hear the reservation on Tim's voice but it was not as hostile as before. "I am not sure what that means."

"Well." Tim thought about what he was going to say next and wanted to do it carefully. "I won't do anything actively to make you feel like you have to choose between us or do anything else that may damage your relationship. However, I am not going to do anything to help it along either. Kind of like taking myself out of the picture."

She had to object there. "But the point is I want you in my life, our life."

"I know. And I want to be part of your life and you mine. But we all have to make choices as to what will make us happy. Right now, I need to be able to concentrate on my life. I have some great opportunities and I need all the energy I can muster to make it work. I can't guarantee you that our choices won't take us further apart, for a while."

Hannah sighed thinking there might be more then he was telling her. "I understand. I don't like it but I understand."

Tim shifted and looked at her. "But if you need to talk to me about Gibbs you should. I do not want you to feel like you have to think everything over before you talk to me. That goes for anything you want to tell me."

Again she believed him and smiled. "Thanks."

Tim looked at her carefully. "But we both knew that you would probably have some things you would ask us to do. And we may need to re-evaluate as things go on. So nothing is set in stone."

Hannah looked at her food hoping she wasn't asking for too much. "I want Sunday dinner. With all of us. Spend time together."

Tim blanched at hearing that. Did she just…? "Every Sunday?"

Hannah simply gave him a look. "No but every other. And Ziva can come too of course."

Gibbs suddenly looked at both of them again with interest. What was this about Ziva?

Tim frowned not really sure if he would be up to this. "Every other Sunday? Really?"

Hannah nodded. "Yes. You should be happy I'm not asking for every Sunday although I might change my mind."

Tim gave up. He could do that. "Ok. Fine. I'll see if she wants to join our band of tort..uh..merry makers."

Hannah rolled her eyes at that. "And I would like you to spend some time with Jethro. Do stuff together. Get to know each other. Maybe lunch once a week?"

Tim almost snorted his soda out his nose. "No. No way. I refuse to date your boyfriend."

Gibbs simply stared at Tim.

Hannah almost laughed at that remark. "Tim.. brother of mine..."

Tim shook his head hoping she would let it go. "No. I can only bend so dang far."

Hannah sighed knowing that voice very well. "Ok. I am not giving up on this. You two need to get to know each other. However, we can talk about it after the holidays. Instead I could settle for ..." Hannah trailed off.

Gibbs looked on rather curious now as Tim narrowed his eyes and responded "Instead you could settle for what?"

Hannah smiled. "That you call him Jethro."

Tim groaned at that. "But.. he's Gibbs. Just Gibbs. Like just Madonna or just Prince..."

Gibbs worked hard to suppress his growing smile as he chewed on his food.

Hannah laughed and wiped her eyes. "Tim, you are going to be seeing more of him now. He is going to be a part of my life and therefor part of yours too. Shouldn't you try to learn to use his first name?"

Tim hunched not really sure about this. Still it could have been worse. "But he likes to be called Gibbs."

Gibbs decided it was time to put his two cents in "I'd like you to call me Jethro, Tim."

Hannah turned her head to look at Gibbs when he had spoken. "And you, when you show up at the gathering's I want you to participate and not just hover in the background."

He wasn't looking forward to that but he would do it. The least he could do.

"And even if you don't like someone you should treat them like you do." She added.

That could be tough. "I'll try."

Hannah wasn't going to give up on that one either. "You better do more then try. I'm not asking you to love the people you don't like just treat them with some respect." She could see she was not going to get an answer from him so she moved on. "It would be nice if you could also learn how to use email. It's a good way to stay in touch." This time she waited for him to respond in some way.

"Ok." What else could he say? She really wasn't asking for much.

When she heard the chuckle from her brother she turned to him. "Don't think he can?"

Tim couldn't help himself. "This is Gibbs we are talking about. I'm not sure the network at work will survive that. Do we really want to jeopardize national security like that?"

"Jethro." Hannah corrected him.

Gibbs saw two identical looks of pure stubbornness that were passed between the two siblings. He decided to change the topic. "So Tim, you and Ziva?"


	48. Chapter 48

"Finally I get some time alone with you." Gibbs wrapped an arm around her.

"A little impatient aren't we?" Hannah closed her eyes as she enjoyed his warmth.

"Yeah, I missed you terrible." He placed a soft kiss in her hair while inhaling the sent it gave. How he had missed this.

"Well, I'm here now." She placed a hand on his chest. "And I missed you too."

He spoke softly. "I can't tell you how much it hurt to watch you break down like that. To know that I had something to do with it." He reached out to her face with one of his hands so she would look at him. "Next time, please let me know. Do whatever it takes to make me see how you feel so it will not happen again."

She nodded and her head went back to rest on his shoulder. Another kiss was felt in her hair. "I'll do my best but I can be pretty stubborn."

"Yeah, both you and your brother I've learned." That earned a soft chuckle. "It's good to have you back in my arms."

"It's nice to be back in your arms."

He decided to ask something that had been on his mind. "What was that about bets?"

Hannah chuckled slightly. "We made some bets about you and Tim won every time. You may not know him but he knows you very well."

"Oh, really?" He shouldn't have been surprised. Tim was very good at studying people.

"Mmmm…"

Her response told him she was tired. He didn't mind. She was back with him and that was all that mattered. Not to mention that things seemed to go in the right direction with Tim. Gibbs started to stroke her arm and he found he could not stop kissing her hair. He was lucky no doubt about it. He was lucky to have found such an amazing woman who despite all the hardship in her life was so vibrant and full of life. He was lucky that Tim had not killed him when the truth had been revealed. Lucky that Tim was willing to give him a chance despite everything. In fact luck didn't even begin to cover it. He was blessed. For the first time in years he felt truly at peace and truly happy. For the first time in years he was actually looking forward to Christmas and he wasn't dreading the coming year but was actually looking forward to that too. He closed his own eyes and tightened his hold on Hannah a little. He was determined to make her as happy as she had made him. He was determined to work on to have a better relationship with Tim. Tim deserved nothing less. Before long Gibbs was sleeping as well.

Not too far away another couple was cuddled up together

"You know, I wouldn't mind having Sunday dinner with Gibbs and Hannah. It could be fun." Ziva enjoyed their newly found closeness.

"Yeah, lots of fun." Tim said in a sarcastic voice. "But I suppose with you there it would probably be a whole lot better." He placed a soft kiss in her hair.

"And if things get out of hand Hannah and I will just have to separate you and Gibbs to your own little corners." She tried to joke and was glad when he responded with a small laugh. "You never told me how did Gibbs take it when you told him about us?"

"Well Hannah kind of revealed that one." He had to smile as he remembered just how much Hannah had apologized for that one before he had left.

Ziva snickered a bit at that. "That's ok. You did say she could tell him once we had."

Oh yes so he had. "Anyway as for Gibbs, he seemed rather pleased. Said he was happy for both of us. He seemed sincere." Tim had not expected Gibbs to have any objections. Even if he did he wasn't really in any position to say so.

"That's good." She snuggled closer to him if that was even possible. "To bad you didn't have a proper Thanksgiving this year."

He had not even given that much thought. "Oh, I wasn't really in the mood anyway. Besides it gave me the chance to catch up on some work."

"Speaking of work, although I know you like and respect your coworkers there but isn't it time to find something else then to stay in Cyber Crimes? You are a good agent and you could do so much more elsewhere." She hoped he did not take offense at her saying that.

He always felt some pride when someone praised him but having Ziva do that now as his girlfriend was a new feeling and a much more rewarding one too. "I've been looking at a few options but not really decided anything yet. I want to make sure where ever I end up I will not regret it."

She understood completely. "That is good. As long as you don't end up somewhere like Mossad I do not care where you go." That was a lie. "Ok, maybe a little. I like this new relationship between us and do not want it to change."

He wondered if in her own way she was asking him not to go anywhere too far. "Me neither." He tightened his arms around her and hoped he was not hurting her. This felt so good and there was no way he wanted it to change either. "Well, at least not change into a long distance relationship."

"Oh?" Ziva grinned at him.

"Definitely want it to be a close relationship. Very." Tim smirked back at her.

Things might have been hard in the last couple of months but this was one amazing thing that had developed between him and Ziva. Something he never thought would have been possible. He had been so sure that she would have ended up with Tony. He had never before been so happy at being wrong.


	49. Chapter 49

A beautiful Christmas tree with present's underneath. The room's decoration's that left no doubt that Abby had been involved. A soft Christmas carol could be heard but what he most enjoyed was listening to the people he loved chatter away.

"Jethro, mind telling me why are you standing here all alone?"

Gibbs turned his head slightly and smiled at his friend. "Just watching everyone." He looked on as Tony teased Abby and had her in fits of giggles. He looked over towards Palmer who snuggled with his date on the couch. He watched as Ziva sneaked a hand in Tim's. He watched as Hannah and Jen were talking to Mrs. Mallard.

Ducky frowned. "Yes I can see that but why?"

"You know the last time that I really and truly enjoyed a Christmas was the last one I had with Shannon and Kelly." His gaze landed back on Hannah. "That is until now."

"Yes well, I did try to invite you're here on more than one occasion but you always declined. And the few times you actually came over you left so fast I wondered why you even bothered to show up in the first place."

There was no accusation in Ducky's tone but Gibbs felt he had to explain. "I know and while I appreciate your effort I never felt comfortable before." He turned towards Ducky again. "It had nothing to do with you."

"I know that." Ducky replied rather defensive. "Still it is good to have you here." He patted Jethro's shoulder and went over to join the others.

Gibbs remained in the doorframe just content at watching.

As Ducky took a seat Tony spoke up while looking over at Tim who was whispering something to Ziva and then giving her a small kiss. "Easy there McLover." He had been pleased when Tim had told him about dating Ziva. Probie, former Probie as it were deserved to be happy.

Tim simply rolled his eyes while Ziva smacked Tony on his arm.

Hannah listened to Mrs. Mallard while still trying to keep an eye on the gathered group. She looked at Abby and could see that the Goth was not in a good mood anymore.

Palmer smiled while holding on to his girlfriend. It was about time that Tim had some happiness in his life.

Abby tried to keep her emotions in check but it was difficult to see Tim so content. So content with someone that was not her. She wanted to be happy for him but it hurt too much. "Yeah, why don't you two go get a room?" Abby asked as all eyes came to rest on her.

Abby had not said anything when they had told her and hadn't really talked with either of them since. They knew she had some issues but Tim hadn't expected the open hostility at the party. "Abby, enough. Let's try to enjoy the party."

"It was just a suggestion. We don't need to see two hypocrites making out" There was bitterness in her voice that could not be missed. She had seen them looking at each other with intense affection for way to long now.

Gibbs straightened where he stood. He noticed that Hannah was now looking at him and he nodded at her. He was ready to interfere if that was needed.

"Hypocrites?" Ziva asked quietly, her eyes narrowing.

"Yeah. Its ok for you two to start a relationship but it wasn't for Gibbs and Hannah? You made all that trouble and hurt and then did the same thing," Abby spat, shaking with anger.

"Not exactly the same thing Abby." The director spoke up from the door. "A few things are different. The first being, Ziva isn't part of NCIS. She is Mossad. The second being, that even if she was an agent, she does not supervise Tim and Tim does not supervise her. So there was no conflict with personnel rules. The third thing being, Ziva and Tim both checked if there would be any problems officially if they dated."

Abby stared at the director as the room went quiet. "You support this?"

"Yes."

Abby got up and left the room. They heard a door slam from down the hallway. Gibbs turned and walked after her.

At the same moment Hannah patted Mrs. Mallard on her hand. "Excuse me for a moment."

Tim leaned over to whisper in Ziva's ear. "I'll be right back." He let go of her hand.

A door was opened by Gibbs who now saw Abby by the window. "What are you doing Abby?" There was no hard anger in his voice but a tint of sadness.

She sighed before turning to face him. "Can't you see that Ziva is taking advantage of Tim when he was or rather is vulnerable?" She received nothing but a stare.

Outside in the hallway Tim came to a standstill and wondered if he should join them or just wait to see how it would go. He felt someone touch his arm and turned to see Hannah next to him. He tried to smile at her but found that he couldn't.

They both remained quiet as Gibbs' voice was heard once again.

"Abby, Ziva would never take advantage of Tim and I know you know that." When she refused to answer he tried again. "Damn it Abby, you know how hard this is for Tim already. It's not easy for him to be around me and Hannah right now." Still there was no answer. "He had originally planned to work tonight. He would rather spend Christmas Eve at work than here. But he came and I want him to be able to enjoy himself. Maybe even get to talk with him. And you're about to send him right back out."

Outside the door Hannah gave her brother a _we are so going to talk about this later _look as Tim pretended he didn't see it. She hadn't realized his original plans.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think..." It was a soft and rather quiet voice that answered. "I just, I care about Tim and don't want him to get hurt."

Hearing her voice some of the anger deflated. "Then why aren't you mad at me? God knows I've hurt Tim a lot. Why do I get a free pass?"

Abby just looked at him and then turned away to look back out the window. Gibbs sighed, realizing that for the first time that Tim had been right about Abby putting him on a pedestal. And that this would need to be addressed someday. But not today.

Abby felt ashamed. Maybe Ziva was good for Tim. There was movement and Abby turned around to see Tim enter the room. "Tim."

He kept his eyes on her while he spoke. "Gibbs, could you leave us alone?"

"Yeah." Gibbs walked away and once outside in the hallway Hannah smiled at him. "What?"

"Thanks. Abby always listen's to you." She linked her arm with his.

"Not always." Together they walked back out to the living room that now was pretty quiet.

"How did it go?" Tony asked as soon as he saw them.

"I think she's coming around." Gibbs said as he sat down and drew Hannah with him.

Abby wasn't sure if she should talk to not. She was afraid she might say something stupid.

"Abby." Tim watched her as she stared at the floor.

She really felt ashamed now. Without looking up she asked "Are you happy?" When he did not respond she lifted her head.

When she finally looked at him he answered her question. "Yes, I am happy."

It stung a little at hearing him say that but what had she really expected?

He took a step closer to her. "Abby, do you really think that Ziva would take advantage of me?"

She shook her head. "No." To her surprise Tim wrapped his arms around her and she immediately wrapped hers around him. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"It's ok. How about this? If she hurt's me I will let you know and you can let her have it." He said in a joking manner and was pleased when she chuckled in response.

She withdrew from him and was now giving him a small smile. "Ok. Deal."

He took her hand in his. "Let's go back to the others."

She nodded and walked with him. She had one more person to apologize too. As the entered they living room she felt self-conscious the way that everyone was staring at her. She took a deep breath and let go of Tim's hand. She walked over to Ziva. "Ziva?"

Ziva stood up knowing what was coming. "Yes Abby?" As predicted Abby threw her arms around her and Ziva returned the embrace.

"I'm sorry."

Ziva patted Abby's back. "It's ok Abby. I know you are very protective of Tim."

Abby withdrew from Ziva. She did feel a little bit better. It would be tough but hopefully it would get easier with time.

Ducky came to stand next to Tim and patted him on his shoulder.

Tim turned towards Ducky. "I am sorry about that."

"Nonsense my dear boy. Not you're doing and it does look like things have been settled nicely." Ducky pointed towards Ziva and Abby who now were laughing with Mrs. Mallard next to the three.

Tim smiled at the scene. Abby did seem to be in a better mood now.

Palmer and his girlfriend walked over to the mini bar as Shepard joined them.

Tony stood up and placed his arm over Ducky's shoulders. "You really need to bring out more of this delightful whisky." He waved his empty glass in the air.

Ducky eyed him carefully as he smiled. "Maybe I have some more I can spare for you Anthony."

"Great." He grinned as he and Ducky walked away.

That left him with Hannah and Gibbs. Tim stood awkwardly, watching the goings on. "Sit down Tim." Hannah smiled up at him. "It won't hurt."

Tim smiled slightly as he sat down. "So.. has been fun. It was nice that you could make it Gibbs."

"Jethro" Hannah corrected quietly.

Gibbs hid a smile at the look that passed between them before responding "Yeah, it has been fun."

When no one said anything else Hannah decided to ask what had been on her mind. "Tim, had you really planned to work on Christmas?"

Gibbs looked at Tim. "Sorry, she didn't know?"

Tim waved the apology away with a hand. "Well, it's my own fault for letting her eavesdrop with me. And she wasn't talking to me at the time I was making the decision."

Hannah looked off at the group for a minute. "So you wanted to work?"

He shrugged a bit. "Well it was the plan. I mean so I could cover for people that needed to be with their families,

their little kids. Turns out I did not need to."

"That would have been very nice of you." Hannah still did not look at him.

There was a tone on her voice that Tim did not like and he sighed. "And?"

Gibbs watched the interaction carefully.

This time Hannah looked him in the eye. "Not to mention a way to avoid me and Jethro."

Tim nodded not denying it. "That too. And all the drama. It would have been easier in a lot of ways."

Gibbs blinked at the honesty there. "I'm glad it worked out this way instead."

The siblings exchanged a look, and both went back to watching the group.

Hannah patted Gibbs' knee and stood up. "I'm going to get some cider. Want anything guy's?" She looked at both men who both shook their heads. "Ok."

As she walked away Tim clasped his hands and said dryly "They are truly subtle in giving us bonding time."

"Yeah." Gibbs knew Tim was right about their friends' intentions. "You and Ziva seem to be doing well?"

"Yeah, she is great." He looked back at Ziva and Abby. "Guess one good thing came out of this mess."

Gibbs nodded, wishing still that it wasn't such a mess.

Tim looked back over to Gibbs. "Didn't Ducky invite Kerri too?"

"Yeah he did. However Kerri was going home to his family over Christmas." Gibbs clasped his own hands together feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Are you still trying to break the probie? I have heard you haven't managed to run him off yet." That earned him a smile and a soft chuckle from Gibbs. He had expected a stare.

"From what I've heard, no I've eased up on the 'probie' but I'm still being tough enough so he'll learn." He paused wondering if Tim would believe his next words. "He's is good but he's not you."

"Thanks, I guess."

Ziva walked up to them and held her hand out to Tim. "Sorry Gibbs, the dancing is starting and I would like to dance with Tim"

Gibbs watched the two in amusement as Tim got up and walked away with Ziva. There was no denying that the two seemed happy together. He looked around and saw Hannah heading away from the living room. He got up and followed her. He saw her entering the kitchen and stopped to wait outside. A few seconds later as she walked through the door leaving the kitchen he moved and surprised her as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Darn, you scared me." She said as she placed her hands on his chest. "Everything ok with Tim?"

"Yeah, fine." He leaned over and kissed her to which she responded. It was meant to be brief but it took on a life of its own.

"Hey lovebird's; take it someplace else." Tony's voice came up behind them. "Gee you McGee's sure are hot and heavy tonight."

Gibbs drew back as Hannah rolled her eyes while Tony passed them. "Bathroom break, I swear I was not spying."

Gibbs didn't get a chance to respond as the younger man continued on. Lucky for Tony he was heading in the direction of a bathroom.

Hannah thought for a moment Gibbs' face looked rather flushed. "Are… are you blushing?"

He coughed trying to act nonchalant. However with her watching him it didn't work. "Not used to getting caught while kissing."

"Hey don't blame me. You're the one that started it." She said as she walked back to the living room hearing his soft laughter behind her.

Oh yes, despite it all this was definitely one Christmas he was enjoying. It had been far too long and hopefully many more would follow.

Tim saw Hannah entering again and whispered in Ziva's ear. "Mind if a dance for a minute with Hannah? Need to finish something."

"Sure. I'll be waiting." She let him go and proceeded to walk over to Ducky.

Hannah noticed that Tim was walking towards her. She was a bit taken aback as he placed a hand on her back and took her other hand in his. Soon he swung her around. She couldn't help but to laugh.

He came to dance with her in calm a pace. "Mad at me?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm not mad. It was a nice gesture but I was a little hurt. I do understand your motivations behind it though."

"Yeah."

There was something that had been on her mind and she had to ask. "Tim, did I ask for too much?"

He thought about it for a few seconds as they continued to dance. "Yes. Well Sunday dinner, not really. Have lunch once a week with Gibbs? Yes. I think it's too soon for that. And calling him Jethro, feels weird. I know he has been calling me Tim lately, but that's just because of you. He's just Gibbs to me."

She snickered a bit. "Yeah, I know. Even I tend to call him Gibbs. I know he said he would like you to call him Jethro BUT you have a point. So maybe try, but I won't hold you to it. And as for the lunch thing, you're right. That is more of a dream for the future than something I can ask now. I apologize."

"I understand." He smiled at her as he swirled her around.

Gibbs watched as Tim and Hannah danced. He took a quick look around the room and saw that everyone seemed to have good time. His eyes came back to rest again at Hannah and Tim dancing. They looked happy as they laughed together. Today had gone even better than he had hoped for. Well except Abby's little tantrum but that had been dealt with. Hannah was happy. Hopefully it would continue in the same way. He hoped that they could build on this. His thoughts were broken by Ziva who tugged on his hand, drawing him to the dance floor.

Merry Christmas indeed.


	50. Chapter 50

"Sorry I'm late." Tim drew out a chair and sat down as Hannah simply smiled at him.

"That's ok. Got caught up with Ziva perhaps?" She couldn't help but to tease him. Especially when his response was a little blush followed with a quick look away. "I'm glad you have her. You really needed some happiness in your life."

He looked back up at her then. "Thanks. I'm glad that she is in my life."

She poured some water into his glass. "So, how was Christmas day for you?"

"It was really nice. Spend the whole day with Ziva as I am sure you knew. Since she was with us and celebrated Christmas which she usually does not do we talked about her traditions. It was interesting." He picked up the menu and looked over it. "How was yours?"

"It was good. Just relaxed most of it and did nothing. A friend that was in town came over for lunch and then I spent the rest of the day with Gibbs." She drank some of her water.

He raised his twinkling eyes over his menu at her, lifted an eyebrow but didn't say a word.

Hannah was confused for a moment before she understood what he was saying without using the actual words. She started to chuckle a bit. "See what I mean? I cannot help myself when I call him Gibbs so I really shouldn't expect you to call him Jethro. Anyway, speaking of… Jethro, he has realized that Abby tends to think too much of him and is going to talk to her about it."

He put down the menu and looked at her again. "I wish he wouldn't."

That surprised her. It was not the first time Tim had talked about Abby and her high standards of Gibbs. "Why shouldn't he?"

Tim flicked with the menu a bit before he spoke again. "Just leave it alone, for now. Might be something to bring up later but I don't want her to have to deal with that too as well as me being with Ziva."

Now that did not surprise her. Actually she should have known. Her brother was the man who looked out for everyone. "Ok, I'll ask him to not talk to her about it."

He gave her a quick nod. "Abby's having it rough enough as it is. Especially once she realizes she can't go into Gibbs' house any time she wants to anymore."

Hannah really had not thought of that but she wondered if Gibbs had. He did lock the door now and she knew he didn't used to do that. She picked up her own menu and looked it over quickly. "I take it that you and Ziva are going to the New Year's Eve party?"

He took his glass and drank some of the water. "Yeah, Director Shepard made it clear she wants all of us there. Don't know why since we are all at the Christmas Party."

Hannah shrugged. "Maybe she wants to keep an eye on 'her people'."

He really didn't care what the Director's motives were as long as he got to be with Ziva. "Maybe. Since Gibbs is going are you coming too?"

Hannah nodded at him as she swallowed a piece of bread. "Yeah. And don't give all the dances to Ziva. I expect at least one or two with you."

"Sure just as long as you don't expect me to dance with Gibbs." He watched her as she started to laugh.

She had not meant to laugh so hard but it came by itself. She took her glass and drank some of the water. Coughing a bit she now seemed to have it under control. "Man, just the image of you two dancing is enough to make one go insane." She dried some of the tears away from her eyes.

He chuckled slightly. "You ok?"

"Yeah, just give me some time to recuperate before you tease me again." She drank some more water as she saw Tim who now grinned at her.

People passed outside the window that was beside them. Christmas was over but everyone that appeared still looked like they were in such a hurry to go wherever they were going. Bags were carried and children were being pushed, some non to gently. There was snow falling and some of the children tried to catch it with their tongues.

Getting lost in looking at the men and women who passed their view Hannah spoke again. "I mean it when I said that I am glad you have Ziva. I doubt she will give you as much grief as I have through the years."

He heard the sadness her voice and brought out a hand to cover hers. "Hannah, you're my little sister. You were born to bring me infinite grief and joy."

Hannah turned her head to look at him. "Oh really? I know I have brought you infinite grief, especially with everything after the rape."

Tim sighed at the thought of the bad memories. "And infinite joy as I got to help you become so strong and powerful a woman. It was an honor."

Hearing him say such a lovely thing touched her and she smiled at him. She was very lucky to have such a wonderful brother. "Well sneaky Hannah did a few things and this with Gibbs." She drew her hand away feeling a bit guilty.

Tim thought about his words before he spoke. "Hannah...you know I love you but let's face it-you're a spoiled brat sometimes. Unfortunately, I am guilty of causing it as much as our parents."

"What?" Hannah hadn't expected that response.

"You were the baby. And with Mom getting sick so many times, everyone was worried about poor Hannah. And excused you things I would have been sent to the corner for." Tim said gently with no hint of anger or regret. "And, I do the same things. I let you get away with stuff, always have. Sometimes I wish Mom hadn't caught me when I was selling you in the park."

"You tried to sell me?" Hannah was shocked. She hadn't heard this story or had any memory of it.

"Yeah. You were two or three and kept getting into my stuff. I figured I could get enough for you to keep me in candy bars." Tim smirked at her. "Mom was not happy. She didn't think it was a good idea at all."

Hannah had to laugh at that.

"I have to agree though that most of the time; you've managed to be there whenever I have needed you." Tim smiled at her again.

"Yeah and I always will be." She hoped he knew that even though it did feel like she had let him down during this whole thing with Gibbs.

"I know." He grinned back at her. "I have too much dirt on you for you to let me down."

What was he talking about? What kind of dirt? "Dirt?"

"Guess who knows where the entire collection of naked baby Hannah pictures are? Then we have the Hannah dressing up pictures? The bad hair photos and so on." Tim smirked evilly at her.

"Oh hell."


	51. Chapter 51

Tim looked at her as she gazed out the window. "What are you thinking about?"

Ziva turned and took a step closer to him. Her hands found their way around his waist. "Just how lucky I am."

He enjoyed the closeness and wrapped his arms around her. "Shouldn't I be the one who says that?"

"Well, let's both call ourselves lucky then." Ziva responded as she gave him a hug before letting go. "How about giving me another dance?"

He nodded at her. "Lead on."

They both laughed as Ziva took his hand and he followed her.

Abby watched Tim and Ziva as they made their way on to the dance floor. She sipped slowly on her drink and tried to be happy. Her friends seemed to be and she hoped it would stay that way. She did care a lot about both of them. But it still stung a little.

"Abby… Abby?"

Abby blinked and looked away from the couple. "Sorry you were saying?"

Gibbs eyed her carefully. "You ok?"

"Yeah." She smiled at him. "Great."

He sighed as he didn't really believe her. "As I was trying to say.." He looked at Abby and then over to Tony. "If you ever need to talk or need help with anything I'm always here for you." Tony and Abby nodded at him but said nothing. That was neither good nor bad. He continued "However, now days I always look my door so you can't just come in without knocking or letting me know you are coming over first."

Tony couldn't help but to smirk. "Yeah, that's not a problem boss. I've learned that lesson."

"Tony.." Gibbs started, realizing that things hadn't really been settled with Tony.

"Right. Never mind me Boss." Tony sipped his drink and looked around the room.

Abby faced Gibbs. "But we can still come over sometimes right?"

"Of course but like I said my door won't be unlocked anymore." He searched her face hoping she did not seem hurt by what he had said and realized that, like Tony, he had just watched a wall go up. That was not what he had expected. "I'll always be here for you."

Abby would miss that. Not being able to visit Gibbs and just walk in whenever she wanted. Then again she was happy for him and with Hannah in his life it was bound to change his routines. Apparently, that meant all of their routines. She was starting to understand Tim's anger.

"Got it. Now if you both excuse me there is a pretty lady over there that seems awfully lonely." Tony got up without looking at either of them and hurried away.

"Whatever happened to the one he was seeing?" Gibbs asked as he watched his senior agent walk over to a blond woman by the bar. He didn't know how to handle this now.

"She thought Tony was too juvenile." Abby shrugged as she drank some more. "Hannah is back."

That made Gibbs turn and look as Hannah made her way over to Ducky. He loved the long red dress that really showed off her lovely body. He continued to watch as Hannah and Ducky exchanged a few words. Further away he noticed that Tim and Ziva were still enjoying their dance. As he looked back towards Abby he noticed she wasn't there anymore. She had walked away to join Palmer and some others, and didn't glance back or had even said anything before she had left.

"Hello there handsome."

He smiled at Hannah as she seated herself next to him. "Hello beautiful."

"How'd it go?" Hannah looked at him with some concern.

"Not as well as I had hoped." Gibbs smiled sadly.

"What did they say?" Hannah covered his hand with hers.

"Nothing. But I get the sense that they won't be knocking on my door anytime soon. Or call to come over. Or come over at all." Gibbs sighed. "I just hope that when they need help, they will still come to me."

Hannah didn't know what to say. Her brother had tried to warn them but it still hurt. She looked around the big ball room rather quickly as she decided to change the subject. "You know for someone who wanted everyone here she is sure making herself scarce."

"I think she had some things to deal with. Sometimes Jen has a hard time relaxing." He gave her the drink he had fetched for her earlier.

"Sounds like someone else I know. You two would make a good couple." There was a look on his face that she knew very well. "Ah, I see." She took a small sip of her drink and waited for him to say something.

He had thought of mentioning it to her at some point but he never knew how to. "It was years ago. She left me."

Hannah had not expected that. "Still have feelings for her?" She hated to ask but she needed to know. If nothing else they did seem very comfortable with each other and at least now she knew it was due to more than friendship.

"No. I was surprised when she came back and was going to be the new Director of NCIS. Told her I missed her and I had. I had missed her more like a friend than anything else." He did not know why he felt the need to explain it to her but he did want to. He wanted her to know that whatever had been between him and Jen, was in the past.

"You don't have to tell me. I believe you. Besides if there had been any real feelings left between you then you would have found some way to make it work before now." She drank some more and watched the woman they were talking about finally appear and head towards Ducky.

"I suppose you are right." He laughed a bit as he watched Jen gently drag Ducky to the dance floor. "So do you want to dance or do I need to wait in line?" He teased her as he swiped the last of his drink.

She got up and took a hold of his arm. "What, are you jealous?" She teased him back. "I haven't danced with that many. There has been Tim, Tony, Ducky and Jimmy."

He got up and offered her his arm. "And Kerri, Ferguson, Davids and the list goes on." As they reached the dance floor he turned to face her and placed his hand on her back. "I can't blame the guys for wanting to dance with you. You are the most gorgeous woman here."

She placed her hand on his shoulder and the other hand in his free one. "I don't know. Abby seems popular with the guys."

"That's because she gives as good as she gets, and doesn't blush" He said as he started to lead.

"They look good together." Ziva spoke softly as she watched Gibbs and Hannah dance over Tim's shoulder.

Tim smiled slightly but didn't turn his head to look. "If you say so."

Ziva linked her arm with his. "Can you imagine? Soon another year is over. Time goes by so fast."

"Yeah it does." He wondered what next year would have in store for them. Whatever came their way he hoped it would be more happiness then pain.

Abby made her way over to Ducky. "Hey Ducky, you shouldn't be sitting here all alone? It's almost midnight." She sat down on one of the empty chairs next to him.

Ducky smiled at her. "It's quite alright. How are you enjoying this evening Abigail?"

Abby shrugged not really bothering to hide her true feelings. "Fine I guess."

Ducky patted her shoulder gently. "It might take some time for you to get used to seeing Timothy with Ziva but I know you will."

She turned to look at him and smiled. Ducky was right. He was always right. "Yeah, I know."

He tried to search her face and realized there was something else on her mind. "What else is bothering you my dear?"

He was good. "Gibbs said he would always be there for if we needed him."

"But…" Ducky pressed on.

"We can't just show up and walk through the door. Knock or let him know first." She sighed right before she downed the last of her drink. "It does make sense. It just makes it less… comfortable I guess. Things are changing."

"Well his life has changed." He wanted to make Abigail feel better but he wasn't so sure he could.

"Yeah but I am getting where Tim has been coming from more than I did before." Abby sighed. "He's smart. He knew everything would change. The rest of us are just catching up."

"You have been used to something for so long it's hard to see things change." He waited until a nod from her answered him. "You have to remember though that not all things change to the worst."

This time she gave him a genuine smile. "True." She heard the countdown begin. Another year was about to begin.

Hannah gazed into a pair of beautiful blue eyes. "Happy New Year Jethro."

He smiled at her. "Happy New Year Hannah." He leaned in and gave her a tender kiss.

On the other side of the room Tim kept his arms around the woman that had won his heart. "Happy New Year Ziva." He whispered in her ear.

She drew back to look at him. "Happy New Year Tim."

Shouts of_** Happy New**_ _**Year**_ echoed through the large ball room.


	52. Chapter 52

He couldn't figure out exactly who had started this thing that had made him end up here but he was not about to complain. There is a first time for everything and well, making love in the back seat of a car was definitely new to him. It was not one of the things he actually ever thought he would have done. He almost chuckled at the steamed up windows of the car. He was glad they had parked in such an out of the way part of the garage. He looked at his dozing companion and tried to stretch a little without disturbing her. If this was going to be a regular thing for them, he needed a car that would accommodate his six foot body better. He looked down at her again thoughtfully. Suddenly her eyes opened and she looked back at him.

"Is there something wrong?" There was seriousness in his face and she wanted to know what was behind it.

He chuckled a bit and stroked her face. "I was just thinking. I've never done this in a car before."

"Ah, I see." She waited as her head rested on his chest, knowing he had something else to say.

"I think you have before." He smiled slightly and opened his mouth to continue when she placed two fingers gently on his lips.

"I have but they are not even worth mentioning." She smiled at him. She wasn't lying. Compared to this those times were not even worth remembering.

Tim laughed and kissed the fingers that were still on his lips.

Ziva withdrew her fingers and sighed with content. Sure it was a bit uncomfortable here but with Tim she could be anywhere. She felt him wrap an arm around her again. "I am surprised though that you haven't done this in a car before."

"You are surprised. Really?" Tim laughed again as he kissed her hair.

"Yes, I really am. Why haven't you?" Ziva looked up at him in the soft light hoping the question was too personal. Her fingers traced lightly along his jaw and his collar bone. He was such a handsome, thoughtful and caring man. The best part was that he was all hers.

"Guess that even when I do date, I am simply too much of a gentleman to expect a woman to cram herself into a small space with me and have sex in a public place." Tim grinned as he leaned down and kissed her, his hands running the length of her body.

"I can see that. Though I suspect you left some disappointed women in your wake." Ziva pressed against him and kissed his chest over his heart. "It is a good thing that I find your gentlemanly ways to be a turn on."

"Yes, a very good thing." Tim murmured as leaned down to kiss along her neck. Part of him knew that about her. They had been out to a nice restaurant and he had pulled out all the stops. Pulling out her chair, holdings doors, and everything else he could think of. They had walked out to the car, and she had looked at him with that look. And then he remembered the kissing, groping and the stumbling in to the car. Who had started the kissing and groping he did not know but he did not care. He had never felt such a strong passion as he did with her before and it overwhelmed him. With Ziva he felt safe to let it go, express it.

She could tell his mind was somewhere else and pulled her head up to look at him. "You are thinking again."

He shook his head and smiled slightly. "Sorry, it's… I've never felt like this before."

He did look like he was happy but she had to ask. "Is that a good or a bad thing?"

"It's a very good thing. I just feel overwhelmed once in a while. Not used to this." He told her truthfully.

She straightened herself as much as she could and looked at him. "I do not wish for you to feel uncomfortable. Also if you do I wish you to tell me."

"I am not uncomfortable Ziva but yes, I would tell you if I did. But here and now I feel incredible. I feel brave. I feel sexy. I feel safe with you." Barely were the words out when Ziva started to kiss him, mouth open and hungry. One of her hands sneaked behind his head to hold it in place even as he returned her kiss, his hands stroking down her body. As they broke apart he smiled. "You know we could drive home and do this in a big comfy bed."

"We will. Later." Ziva rolled up onto his body and claimed his mouth again.

Tim held her tight against him as he responded to her eagerly. He never wanted this to end.


	53. Chapter 53

She rolled over careful not to wake him. As she got up she couldn't shake the nightmare she had awoken from. It seemed to have been a small one otherwise he would be awake by now. She tip toed over to the bathroom and shivered slightly at the coldness that touched her feet. She turned on the faucet to wait as the water turned to a comfortable temperature and proceeded to splash some in her face. She looked at herself in the mirror and was a little pleased that she didn't look that bad. Normally after one of those nightmares she would look extremely pale and there would be dark circles under her eyes. She sighed heavily and wondered if she would ever be rid of these nightmares? How many times had she not wondered that? Too many to count. She turned off the facet and dried her hands. She turned back towards bedroom but halted in the door and leaned against the door frame studying the man in the bed.

He knew she was looking at him. He stayed still, feigning sleep, waiting for her to make a move. Hopefully it would be to join him back in bed. She had not been up long but he already missed having her body next to him. But part of him knew that he had to wait for her to initiate this sometimes. She had seemed hesitant at times. He heard the sound of her footsteps and the bed moved slightly. He waited. So she was sitting at the end of the bed now.  
"How long are you going to watch me?" He asked without opening his eyes.

So he had been awake. She smiled. "I thought I'd see how long it would take before your patience ran out."

He huffed out a quick breath. "You know very well I'm not a patient man."

"Oh I know." She leaned forward a little and with a hand just barely touched his arm.

He move quick, pulled her over on top of him and gently leaned in to slowly kiss along her neck.

"Jethro!" She laughed, leaning into him a little as she started to relax, her hand resting on his chest.

"Mmm?" He always enjoyed when he called her that. Since she had a habit of calling him Gibbs more it was a real treat whenever she did call him Jethro.

She continued to laugh as he almost tickled her with the soft kisses. "Don't you need to breathe?"

He leaned back and looked at her. "My breathing is fine." With that he captured her lips with his. He could never get tired of kissing those soft and luscious lips.

She kissed him back with a slow passion. She could not remember when she had last felt like this if ever. He was under her, and she pulled back from his lips and looked down at him.

Gibbs smiled up at her, and waited. He was giving her control, letting her lead.

She slowly began to kiss his neck, licked and sucked at his skin. Her hands stroked his chest, played with the hair there as she kissed lower and explored is chest slowly. She played with his nipples, even as he groaned softly.

He might die before this was over but when she looked up at him, he saw something in her eyes. And he realized in that moment that she was battling her demons. That together **THEY** were battling her demons. Her mouth moved lower and he closed his eyes, lost in the sensations.

Later she was curled up nicely in his arms. As he lay there, holding her he thought about what had transpired earlier. Something had been different this time and he didn't know what it was. Perhaps a little more desperate than it had been before. He had little bruises where her fingers had gripped him or her mouth had worked. He just hoped that whatever it was they battled, they had won this fight.

He felt her body move a bit and when he opened his eyes he saw that he was being looked at by apprehensive eyes. He felt some of the aches in his body as he moved himself and as he reached for her hand he noticed that some bruises on his arms where much brighter and a bit bigger than he had first realized. Now he understood her apprehension. He gave her smirk and kissed her hand.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." She whispered not really being able to look at him. She did not want to see those bruises.

"Shhh..I'm not." With one of his hand's he guided her face back to look at him. "I enjoyed it."

"Jethro you don't have to say that." She said her eyes started to tear up.

"Hannah, I did enjoy it. If it was too much or I didn't, I would have stopped it. And you know I could." He looked into her eyes. "I can take whatever you dish out. You can't scare me away that easily. Whatever you need, I will do everything I can to meet them."

She had not expected to hear something like that and she found she was unable to say anything. She finally kissed him gently and snuggled back into his chest. She wanted to believe him.

He started to stroke her hair hoping that she believed him for he had meant every word.


	54. Chapter 54

He had seen her laugh but it was not a genuine laugh. It was almost like a pretend one that seemed to be for his benefit. Did she really think he wouldn't see through it? Even while they talked she seemed to have moments when her thought's got away from her. She would recover quickly but he still saw it. He had waited and thought that maybe if he didn't say anything she would bring it up herself. She had not and he felt it was time to ask. "Want to tell me what is bothering you?"

Hannah looked at her brother. Had she really thought he wouldn't have noticed? This was the guy that had been with her through the hardest times in her life. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"See, when you say that then usually it means something is going on." He waited hoping she would elaborate on what was on her mind.

She knew he would not give up until she told him. "It's no big deal. I've just been having more nightmares lately."

In the back of his mind he had suspected something like that. "Well, considering the time I am not surprised. You want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. "No, god knows we've talked about it enough. I'll be fine."

He smiled at her. She really had a come a long way. Usually when bouts of those nightmares would enter her life again she would keep going over why they never would end and her voice would be close to tears. There was a determination in her now that he didn't see that often considering the subject. "Yeah, but if you need to talk you know where I am."

She smiled at him. "I know."

"Does Gibbs know?"

"He knows I have nightmares now and then, yes."

"No, I mean what is coming up?"

"No."

"Shouldn't you tell him?"

"No, I'll be ok."

Fierce determination there and he really did not want to doubt her. However he knew her to well.

She didn't want to talk about this anymore. "So, how do you feel about the dinner next Sunday?"

She changed the subject. Not good. Sunday dinner. How did he feel about that? "I don't know. It will be ok I guess."

"That's a great attitude." She said with sarcasm but winked at him to show she was joking.

"Yeah, isn't it though?" Tim smiled as he joked back but turned serious right away after. "As long as you don't expect miracles I think we'll be fine."

"I don't expect miracles. I just hope we can have a meal, talk and just get along." That was all she really hoped for at this point.

"I know." He decided to change back the subject. "I know you don't want to talk about it but do you know why you are having more nightmares now? Is it just the timing or is it something else?"

She shrugged a bit. "Maybe." It was out before she realized she had even said it.

So there was more. "What?"

"Just, I mean it's silly. I'm a nurse and I do see rape victims from time to time. They are all terrible but…" She trailed of knowing he would pick up on what she had said.

Now he knew what bothered her. "But once in a while there is a victim who stands out more than the other's." He knew how awful rape cases made her feel but some were worse than others. Those that were the ones that she always needed to talk about.

She nodded. "A young girl was brought in yesterday.." Images of the girl flashed through her mind and she blinked trying not to let it get the best of her. "The bruises, marks on her body…." She looked away when she felt a hand on hers. She turned her head back to her brother and saw the understanding in his eyes.

"What happened to you is one of the reasons you wanted to become a nurse. You knew at times it would be tough and when it would get too much you said you would talk to me." When she drew her hand back from under his he brought back his own.

"I know." She didn't know what else to say.

"You haven't told Gibbs have you?" Her head shake confirmed that. "You can't keep things like this bottled up."

She sighed sadly. "I haven't really. I talked to my counselor about it."

He was pleased to hear that she was at least talking to someone. "That's good. What did she say?"

She moved back into the couch and brought up her legs. "That I should at least tell Gibbs so he knows what's going on when I have my nightmares. I mean he knows what my nightmares are about but doesn't know why I'm having more and more of them."

"That's not a bad idea." He had a feeling though it wouldn't be that easy.

She shrugged. "Maybe not. Look I don't want to talk about this anymore. Let's talk about something else. How are things with you and Ziva?"

End of discussion for this time. The most important thing though was that Hannah was talking to someone. His thoughts turned to Ziva and he couldn't help but to smile and turn red.

Hannah smiled back at him. "That good eh?"

Tim just grinned. "Yep"

Hannah grinned back. "And that's all you say? I mean, I never catch you at home. Or if I do you are not answering the door and God knows I am not using the key. And I don't see you as often as I may like to."

Tim shrugged the smile still in place. "We are both busy with work and our new relationships. And I do miss you too. You know, if you want to see me and I am not at the apartment, just swing past Ziva's. She adores you." Tim winked. "And I can commiserate about the key thing."

Hannah laughed. "Thanks. I may just do that some time you know."

"Oh, I had a little talk with Abby. I think she is getting used to the idea of me and Ziva being together." He really hoped he was right but things did look good in that department.

"Really? I've been worried about Abby and Tony. I hear from Tony but not Abby as much as I used to, and Gibbs doesn't say much either but I've had a feeling things have been.. different." Hannah sighed and sipped her drink.

"Yeah, I've heard. I think Tony is starting to be really ok with Ziva and me. She and I have made a point to still do stuff with him individually as well as together. We're trying to do the same with Abby, though she is resisting a bit more. And we ALL enjoy hanging out with Ducky." Tim smiled but noticed her worried look.

"Good. I'm glad things are working out. " Hannah said a little absently.

"Baby sister, cut them some slack. Tony has lost his team leader spot, given up another to follow Gibbs, almost died, and not one, but two, women he had designs on in the last year have been taken off the market by men he trusted. And a now Gibbs has changed some of the relationship. If Gibbs put some work in it, and gets Tony to, they will be ok." Tim smiled again. "And Abby. . will adapt. Will take some work there too."

"Yes, as always you have great insight." She thought back to what he just had said. "Since we are talking about Tony, he has been a bit flirtier with me than usual."

Tim eyed her carefully. He was very well aware of Tony and his ways. Tony still flirted with Ziva but Tim knew it was the way Tony acted. It was when he did not flirt one would wonder if something was wrong with him. He also knew that before Gibbs came in to the picture Tony had been interested in Hannah but she had always made it clear that she was not interested in him. They both seemed to have moved on from that.

"I'm probably just over reacting. I mean with everything that is going on. This is Tony after all." She drank the last of her drink knowing that she had a tendency to do that when she had a lot on her mind.

"Yeah, he does still flirt with Ziva now and then. He doesn't cross the line though but I think he wouldn't dare to either." He joked and was pleased when Hannah laughed in response.

"True." It felt good to laugh and not just pretend to do it. She looked at her watch. "I suppose I should get ready for work. I want to check in on the girl before I start my shift." Her mood turned serious once again while thinking about the events of the day before.

He asked but he already knew the answer. "Have you talked to her?"

"I've tried. Tried to get through to her but she has not really talked to anyone since she came in. She just turns her head away from whoever is talking to her and stares into the wall. I hope someone gets through to her."

Tim hoped the girl was not alone in this. "Does she have any family there?"

"Yeah, her parents and her brothers are there. I've talked to them. They are trying to be strong for her." Hannah thought back to when the only one that was strong for her was her brother. What would she have done without him?

"At least she is not alone." If there had not been anyone else then Tim knew that Hannah would have made sure the girl would not have been alone.

Hannah nodded at him. "Yeah." She said sadly.


	55. Chapter 55

Gibbs had not heard from Hannah all day but since they had planned to meet up at her place in the evening he did not hesitate as he walked to her apartment. Still when they had talked last she had seemed a bit evasive. He wondered if something had happened that he was not aware of. He unlocked the front door with his key, got inside, closed and locked the door behind him. Right away he heard something and he stopped to listen. Then he heard what sounded like a whimper. He walked inside and moved towards the sound. Suddenly there was a scream and he ran to her bedroom. He threw the door open and saw her trashing on the bed.

"No, stop!"

She was having another nightmare. He hurried over to the bed and gently took a hold of her arms. "Hannah. Hannah, wake up."

"NO, LET ME GO!"

"Hannah, its Gibbs. Wake up!" He tried to steady her body but she continued to fight him. He sat down next to her and tried to hold her arms down. Somehow one of her arms got loose and before he had a chance to react he felt her nails against his cheek. He ignored the stinging as he tried to get her to wake up.

He leaned in closer not really caring that he might be scratched again and tried to whisper as close to her ear as he could. "It's Gibbs. Hannah, you are safe. I'm here." She stopped moving and her arms went limp. "No one is going to hurt you. I'm right here." Her breathing calmed down and soon her eyes slowly opened.

She blinked trying to focus. She moved her head and saw him sitting there. "Gibbs?"

"Hi." He smiled at her. When she had opened her eyes he had, as always, felt relieved.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I had another nightmare." She only remembered some of it but she would never forget the terror she always felt.

"Yeah."

She opened her eyes and looked at him again. Then she sat up and he moved away as she threw the covers aside. She stood up and then walked to the bathroom.

He sat back down on the bed and simply waited for her to return. He heard the water being turned on. Her nightmares had been so much more forceful lately. He had tried to talk to her but she never wanted to talk about it. What was he missing?

She looked at herself in the mirror. This was getting worse. She should talk to him but what could he do? She sighed as she dried her face with the towel. She hung it up and returned to the bedroom. When she saw him she froze.

He knew what she was looking at. "It's fine. It's just some scratches."

She couldn't take her eyes of his left cheek. There was no doubt that it must have been her doing. It was fresh and bleeding from four lines of scratches. She walked back into the bathroom and collected another towel. Rather absent she walked back to the bed and handed him the towel.

He took the towel from her but did not use it. He watched as she sat back down on the bed. She did not sit next to him but as far from him as she could. "Hannah." He waited until she looked at him. "It's fine. You had a nightmare. You thought you were fighting your attackers." He moved closer to her and was pleased when she didn't move away from him.

She took the towel from his hands and started to wipe some of the blood away. "Early on, when I had my worst nightmares I sometimes gave Tim bruises. Scratches happened too."

He simply let her clean him up and listened as she spoke.

"But no matter how bad they were that never happened later. It's been years since I hurt someone because of my nightmares." She lowered her hand and let the towel lay in her lap.

When she looked at him he could see the sadness in her eyes.

She tried to look away but she felt a hand on her chin that guided her face back to look at him.

"Remember what I said? I said that I can take whatever you dish out. You cannot scare me away that easy. Remember?" When she gave him a small nod he continued. "I mean that."

She removed his hand from her face and got up. She remembered him saying that and he probably meant it too. There was however things she could not forget. She also knew what was coming up and that the next few days would be tough for her. She turned back to face him and the scratches on his face seemed to glare at her. That only made her more determined to face this on her own. "Listen, I need a favor."

"Sure, anything you need." He waited as she seemed to think something over.

"I think we shouldn't see each other for a few days. I need to be by myself." She saw that she had surprised him. It was better this way. He would see that. Maybe not now but he would later. She was sure of it.

"What?" That was not what he had expected her to ask. He got up and took a step closer to her. "Why?" He could tell as soon as he got closer her guard went up even more.

"I just need this." She was tired and even though she knew that the next days would be hell it was better to endure them alone then to hurt him or anyone else she cared about.

"Hannah, your nightmares are getting worse. I do not know what is going on but you should not be alone." There was no way he was going to let her go through this all by herself. No matter what the cause he wanted to be there for her.

"I know but its fine. I'll be fine." She tried to say with determination. She needed to call Tim and tell him not to talk to Gibbs about this.

"Hannah…" He tried but got nowhere as she turned abruptly and walked back into the bathroom. Damn it, this is not how it should be. He had to do something. He left the bed room and headed to the living room while he brought out his phone. In seconds it was ringing. "Come on, pick up."

"_McGee."_

"Tim, its Gibbs. We need to talk."

"_Is there something wrong with Hannah?"_

"That's what I want you to tell me? What is going on Tim…"

Entering the living room Hanna heard the last few words that Gibbs spoke. She should have expected it but it angered her that he had worked so fast. "What the hell are you doing?"

Gibbs jerked around surprised at the angry voice.

Hannah walked up to him and yanked the phone out of his hand. She brought it to her ear. "Tim, you do not talk to Gibbs about this!"

"_Hannah…."_

She did not listen to the confused voice. "No, do not talk to Gibbs." She hung up the phone and tossed it back to Gibbs.

He caught the phone while watching her. "What is going on?"

"That is none of your business." She knew she was being unfair but it was better this way.

"It is my business. Whatever concerns you concerns me." He tried to take a step closer to her but she backed away.

"Does this mean you are not going to do what I asked you?" What was wrong with her? He only wanted to help her. He didn't answer her and that told her what she needed to know. "You know what; I'll make this real easy for you. Let's just end this here now. You and me. It's over."

He was stunned. He saw her going back to her bed room and for some reason he could not move. He heard the door slam and wondered what the hell just happened? Whether she liked it or no, he was not going to let her go through this alone. He needed help though. He walked to the front door and while he unlocked it he dialed his phone again.

"_Gibbs?"_

"Yeah, we really need to talk Tim. Are you at home?"

"_Yeah."_

"I'm coming over." He did not wait for an answer as he hung up and locked the door behind him.

Hannah grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her body as the tears streamed down her face. What was wrong with her? He was the best thing that had ever happened to her so why did she say those things? She just felt so angry! At least if she was alone then she wouldn't take it out on anyone else.

Gibbs took one last look at her apartment as he started the car. "I'm not leaving you alone Hannah."


	56. Chapter 56

Ziva watched as Tim glanced at the front door. He had not said much since the phone calls except that Gibbs was coming over. By Tim's tone she knew something serious was going on. "Tim?"

He turned and looked at her. For a moment he had actually forgotten that she was there. "Sorry."

"Do not apologize. Tim, what is going on?" She was not sure if he would answer her but she wanted to help.

He debated if he should tell her or not. Still Gibbs was on his way and Tim had a pretty good idea of what the other man wanted to talk about. Maybe telling Ziva would help. "I think Gibbs wants to talk about Hannah."

She had understood that much. "Is she ok?"

"No, she is having some bad nightmares and they are getting worse." He sat back in the couch and decided he would tell Ziva. He hoped that Hannah would understand. Ziva was a huge part of his life now, and she would need to know someday.

She sat back with him and placed a hand on his arm. "Did something happen?"

"Not recently." He took a deep breath. "When she was fifteen years old she was attacked by two boys that lived next door. They brutally raped, beat and humiliated her for four days."

Ziva paled and closed her eyes. "Oh, Hannah."

"It happened in the basement of our house. No one was home. Dad was on a business trip and I was moving to my first apartment. Even when it was all over she was alone. I think she was even more alone when my dad came  
home." This was so much harder than he had expected it to be.

She grasped his hands and waited for him to continue as she saw how much this still affected him.

"She told him and he didn't believe her. He blamed her for everything." The anger against his father was still there and he swallowed hard not to get all worked up about it.

Ziva did not know what to say. She knew that Hannah and Tim had no contact with their father. Now she understood why.

"She did tell me when I finally got her to talk about it and I took her with me that evening. She lived with me from that day." His eyes darkened as he remembered those terrible days. "Anyway, there was a trial and the boys  
got sent to a Juvenile Detention Center. Hannah and I haven't spoken to our dad since the trial."

She stroked his arm and leaned closer to him. "I had no idea."

"That's how she likes it to be. She's come a long way since then and doesn't want people to see her as a victim."

Ziva nodded. "But something is causing her to have nightmares now. Do you know what that is?"

"Yes," He leaned into her. "I don't think I can talk about this twice. Do you mind waiting for Gibbs?"  
"Of course not." Ziva rubbed his back, offering what comfort she could. She felt a strong sadness for them both and anger, at the boys, now men, responsible for the terror Hannah went through and at their father for the pain he caused them both.

Tim took a deep breath. It was never easy to talk about what had happened to Hannah. He would to this day never forget the moment when Hannah had told him what had happened. How she had tried not to fall apart in front of him. How devastated he had and still felt whenever he thought about it. He was so occupied with his thoughts that he did not notice the knock on the door until Ziva gently nudged him. Tim slowly stood up, already tired. He walked to the front door and opened it. "Gibbs."

Gibbs took a good look at the younger man. He didn't like seeing Tim this way. He looked, almost older. He knew it must have to do with Hannah. "Tim?" He could see that Tim's eyes were moist. "You ok?"

"No." He answered truthfully. It was then he noticed the scratches on Gibbs' cheek. "Hannah did that didn't she?"

Gibbs nodded. "It's not the scratches that bother me though."

Tim motioned for Gibbs to enter and when he did Tim closed the door behind them.

Gibbs entered the living room and saw Ziva. He was not really surprised to see her there. However the sad look she was giving her he had not expected. Tim passed him and walked over to Ziva. "You told her?" Gibbs already knew the answer.

Tim sat down rather heavily. "Yeah. Since this is going to impact her too, I thought she should know."

"You know I will not betray my family Gibbs." Ziva said in response to Gibbs slightly accusatory tone. Luckily Tim did not notice it, or chose to let it go. She sat back down next to Tim and again placed a hand on his arm. She had not failed to see the scratches on Gibbs' cheek.

Gibbs nodded. "I know." He took a seat and saw that Tim did not really pay attention to either of them. "Tim?"

Tim turned to face him. "I take it Hannah's nightmares are escalating?"

"Yeah. They are getting worse. I do not know what to do." He clasped his hands together and placed his elbows on his knees.

"Hannah did that?" Ziva pointed towards Gibbs' cheek.

He looked back at Ziva. "Yeah, she thought she was fighting of her attackers. I was trying to wake her up" He turned back to look at Tim. "What is going on Tim?" When Tim did not say anything Gibbs pressed on. "I know she told you not to talk to me but I want to help. She shouldn't go through this alone."

"I know. I agree. And she never has." Tim simply answered.

Gibbs was getting impatient. "I know that." He knew that had sounded a bit too harsh so he collected himself before he spoke again." I love her. What do I need to know to help her?"

"Tomorrow is the date when Hannah's nightmare started. The first few years, every year around this time was always hard for her. The four days and especially the nights were horrible." He waited for Gibbs to say something.

He had suspected that it had something to do with what have happened to her but he had no idea it had been that. "She should have told me. Wait, you said the first few years. She did mention that so why are her nightmares so bad now?"

Tim looked at Ziva who gave him a grim smile in support before he looked back at Gibbs. "Did she tell you about the girl at the hospital?"

Gibbs furrowed his brow. "No, what girl?"

"There was a young girl brought in to Bethesda three days ago. Hannah was there when she was brought in. The girl had been brutally raped and beaten for hours by two men. She was in a pretty bad shape." He stopped to let Gibbs take in this new information.

He sat up and ran a hand over his eyes. Why had Hannah not told him this? Gibbs knew rape cases were always tough on Hannah but he also knew some were harder for her then others. Why had she not talked to him? He shook his head sadly.

Ziva wasn't sure what to say. "That must have torn her apart."

"Yeah, Hannah tried talking to the girl but no one seemed to get a response from her and then…." Tim looked down where Ziva had just joined her hand with his.

Oh god there was more. Gibbs had to ask "Then what?"

Tim looked up and straight at his former boss. "The girl killed herself. Hannah found out early this morning."

Shit!

"The girl and considering the timing is I think, what is causing her nightmares to be getting worse." He felt Ziva squeeze his hand and for a moment he looked at her to give her a small smile.

Gibbs stood and started to walk away. He had to get back to Hannah.

Tim stood right away when Gibbs had moved. "Gibbs! Sit back down!" He waited for Gibbs to turn and look at him. "What do you think you are doing?"

Gibbs was really impatient now. What did Tim think it looked like? "I have to get back to Hannah."

"Not like that. Do you really think she needs you to be angry at her right now?" Ziva asked quietly. She knew Gibbs was not angry at Hannah but he was angry and that anger had to come out before he saw Hannah again.

"Damn it I am not angry at Hannah. I'm…." He trailed of not really knowing where he was going with this

Tim took a step closer to him. "Then why are you so angry?"

He took a deep breath as he thought about it. "I'm not angry. I'm… I'm wondering what I did wrong that she felt she couldn't come to me with this."

Tim sighed. "You really don't get it. Because she is not used to having anyone in her life that actually cares about her and wants to help her. Not just abuse her. Not her boyfriends, not her father, no one. Except me. She doesn't know how to let you help."

Gibbs stared at him not knowing what to say.

"I have been through a lot with her and she's been hurt so much in the past that it won't go away that quickly even if you do think you have proven yourself to her. She does care about you but when her insecurities kick in and  
especially if it has to do with her rape she can be pretty unreasonable. Even with me and I've always been there." Tim waited as what he had just said seemed to sink in the older man's head.

"I just want to help her." He knew what Tim had just said made sense. "I told her that I could take whatever she would dish out at me. That she couldn't scare me away that easily. That I wanted to help her."

Tim sighed. "You think saying that a few times will make her forget the years of hurt she's been through?"

Gibbs said nothing but simply kept his stare on Tim. No, he knew it wasn't that easy.

"You will have to prove it over and over again for her to believe you." Tim stated in a firm voice.

"And I will." Gibbs answered. He would do whatever it took.

Tim believed him. "We'd better go. It is going to be a long night." Tim passed Gibbs when the other man was about to protest Tim spoke again. "I've been through this and you haven't. Believe me when I say you will need me there." He said loudly as he took his jacket.

Gibbs knew that was true. He really did not know as much about this as Tim did. He felt way of his league here and he hated that feeling.

Ziva got up, walked passed Gibbs and grabbed her coat. "I'm going with you."

Tim turned to her and took her hands in his. "Thank you but…."

She nodded and cut him off. "Tim, has she ever had a woman in her life to help her with this?"

Tim blinked. "She has counselors…."

"Yes, but this is different. And while you have done a wonderful job, and Gibbs will be trying, I think it is time that she had some help from a woman. I have a …different understanding of the situation." She looked sad. "Living with the Mossad, one learns a lot of these things."

Tim hesitated. "I don't know."

Ziva caressed his cheek. "I can leave if I need to. But as much as Hannah doesn't know how to accept help, neither do you. Trust me."

Tim simply nodded. She had a good point.

Gibbs watched this, feeling a bit like an outsider. He spoke up from behind them. "You two don't need to go with me right now. Tim, you are right. You know more about this than me but Hannah is not talking to either of us right now so if you want to stay here…."

Tim shook his head. "No, we'll go with you." He turned his attention back to Ziva, "Are you sure?"

"Yes. It is what families do."

He gave Ziva a small smile and nodded. "Then let's go."


	57. Chapter 57

Tim was not sure what he had expected when entering Hannah's apartment. However as he looked over the living room the scene in front of him was familiar.

Gibbs stopped short when he saw the broken glass on the floor. A vodka bottle was on the table. Half full. "She wasn't drinking when I left."

"No but I'm sure she started soon after." Tim sighed heavily.

"She's done this before hasn't she?" Ziva asked as she looked around.

"When it would get to be too much she would drink…." He didn't get a chance to finish when Gibbs spoke up.

"So she would be too drunk to have any nightmares." He looked at Tim who nodded. Gibbs had been there himself many times and knew the desperate action behind it very well.

All three turned when they heard footsteps getting closer. They watched as Hannah came into view. A night gown that was too big for her seemed to have a life of its own as she walked. She had a glass in one hand and tried to hold on to the wall with the other one.

She felt like she was being watched. She looked up and gasped when she saw three faces staring at her. It only took her a moment to realize who it was even if her head was slightly alcohol clouded. She felt like screaming but nothing came. She focused on Tim. "I asked you not to tell him. Not to mention you seem to have blabbed to your girlfriend too." She downed the last of her vodka and walked over to the table.

Tim walked over and grabbed the bottle before Hannah got a chance to. "You don't need this."

How dare he? "Tim!"

"No, you don't need more of this." He took a step away from her.

"You…" Hannah pointed at him. "..do not tell me what I need. Or have a right to tell anyone anything." She tried to take the bottle from Tim but he simple held it up, out of her reach.

Gibbs saw her stumble and moved to catch her.

Ziva took the glass that almost fell out of Hannah's hand.

"Let go of me." She started to push Gibbs away and he released her. She didn't want him here. She didn't want any of them here. She stood up on unsteady feet and pushed some hair away from her face. She ignored Gibbs as she turned back to Tim. "I thought you cared about me?"

He knew it was her fear talking but he sighed as he replied. "You know I do."

"Then why can't you just leave me alone? Why did you have to tell…..?" She stopped as she swayed a bit. Someone placed a hand on her back and she turned to face Gibbs. "I thought I told you we were over!"

Tim exchanged a look with Ziva. Clearly neither of them had thought that Hannah would actually end things with Gibbs.

Gibbs kept his eyes on Hannah. "I just want to help you."

Hannah snorted. "Yeah, sure. I asked you to leave me alone and yet here you are. With company I might ad. Who's going to show up next? Abby, Tony. Oh, wait maybe Jenny. We could trade stories about you."

Gibbs ignored the clear jab at him as he responded. "No one is going to show up. I went and talked to Tim because you wouldn't talk to me."

"Yeah and he gladly talked to you." She turned to face her brother again. "So now you suddenly decide to be chummy with him?" She motioned towards Gibbs. "I do not want any of you here. Just go and leave me the hell alone."

"Enough!" Tim's tone broke the air and made everyone blink. Then, still firm but gently, "Enough Hannah. You know you're just going to keep trying to push me away, even though we both know you don't want to be alone. And we both know that no matter how much you push, I will not go anywhere. These two have apparently decided you're worth the fight too. So enough."

Hannah blinked again trying to get her thoughts in order. She didn't really believe him. "No." She said sadly as she pushed Tim aside and left the living room. She walked quickly to her bedroom and slammed the door behind her. She almost fell on the bed. Damn them. Damn them for doing this. Didn't they realize it was hard enough as it was? She heard the door open and knew who it was even tough she kept staring at the celling. "Tim, go away."

"Not going to happen." He looked behind him and saw Gibbs and Ziva walk up to him. He walked inside and motioned for them to stay by the door. He sat down on the chair opposite the bed.

Gibbs felt frustrated and when he felt a hand on his arm he realized Ziva must have sensed that.

They both stayed behind and simply observed.

"We've been through this before. I stuck by you then and I'm not leaving you now." He said in a voice that showed his determination.

She knew she could argue but what would be the point? Still she had to try. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"You say it like you are doing it on purpose and you know that is not true." He waited but when she did not respond he continued. "It's going to get tough and yes, possible even violent but that's ok because It's better than leaving you alone."

She turned her head and looked at him. He gave her a grim smile and she bit her lower lip knowing no matter what she said he was not going to leave. "I already hurt Gibbs?"

Gibbs wanted to go in there and tell her it was no big deal but Tim spoke before he got a chance.

"You don't think he's been through a lot worse than that? That's nothing." He tried to joke but it did not work.

"It's not the same Tim and you know it." She turned her head away to stare at the celling again.

"I know." He said rather quietly. He looked at Gibbs who by now was standing at the end of the bed. Tim had not even heard him take those steps.

"Gibbs doesn't care about the scratches." Tim added.

Hannah didn't say anything in response. In truth the scratches weren't what bothered her the most.

Tim knew what was on his sister's mind but first things first. "WE are going to help you. WE want to help you."

Gibbs rounded the bed and sat down on it.

"Go away Gibbs." What didn't they understand? She did not want help.

"You picked him." Tim said quietly, leaning back.

"What?" Hannah was surprised by his response. She didn't notice Ziva who smiled slightly by the door.

"You picked him. And this. You were willing to hurt our relationship for this guy. It has caused more stress to our extended family than the regular terrorist we meet. You actually encouraged me to get in a relationship with Ziva. And then you insist that I spend time with the man, and get to know him. Do stuff with him. Well. Apparently this is our first joint project." Tim folded his arms over his chest and looked at his drunk, shocked sister. "Don't blame me. You wanted us to get people in our lives and all that. Well, here it is."

Gibbs and Ziva could only blink at this exchange as Hannah fell into a drunken sulk and looked back at the celling.  
"I really hate you sometimes." Came the low response.

"Yeah. I really hate you sometimes too." Tim sighed. "But I love you even more."

Hannah bit her lower lip again and tried really hard not to cry.

Tim motioned for Gibbs to move and as the older man did Tim got up and proceeded to sit down on the bed. "You know, I thought about telling Gibbs to go to hell when he came over and demanded to know what was going on. I was tempted. But I know him well enough to know that he would just keep trying and getting in the way of me helping you. You've lost enough money to me in bets to know I am right. And I do accept that he cares about you. I told Ziva because she is the first woman I have trusted enough to share this with. And I need someone too. And we are all here because you're worth the fight."

"Not worth it." Hannah choked out. "There's too much damage."

Gibbs heart almost broke at the pain in her voice and the meaning behind it.

Tim shook his head. "No, you're worth it. You've always been worth it. You'll always be worth it. You just have to accept that."

Hannah closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could try and fight them but she knew it was a lost cause. They were not going anywhere. She turned and lay on her side. Her back was now against Tim. "Do what you want."

This was as good of an acceptance they would get from her now. Tim stood up and faced Gibbs. "Well, this is as far as we'll get right now."

Gibbs sat down in the chair. "I'll stay here."

Tim knew he would not get Gibbs to move and frankly he was too tired to try. "Ok. For a little while." He gave Gibbs a look that didn't allow for argument before he walked over to Ziva who took his hand. He took one last look at Hannah and then left the bed room with Ziva.

Gibbs kept his eyes on the form on the bed. She was shivering. He got up, took the blanket that was by her feet and placed it over her. He leaned down and spoke quietly. "You're not alone Hannah." If she heard him she did not let it show. He tucked the blanket around her and returned to the chair.

"I think it went rather well." Ziva said as she looked for a broom.

"Yeah, it could have been worse. But it's just the start." He took the vodka bottle and walked to the kitchen. He poured the liquid out in the sink.

She walked up to him and rubbed his back. "You look tired. Why don't you try and get some sleep while I clean up?"

He looked at her and gave her a quick smile. "No, don't think I can sleep right now. She'll need me again soon anyway."

"Gibbs is with her. Besides you will not be far away." She kept rubbing his back as she talked. "I'll keep an eye on Gibbs for you. And you aren't alone in this either, anymore."

It was nice to feel that he did not have to be alone in looking out for Hannah anymore. That he had someone he could turn to when he needed strength. He stifled a yawn and had to admit he did feel like closing his eyes for just a little bit. "Maybe I'll just rest for a few minutes." He gave her a quick kiss. "I'll be in the guestroom if something happens."

She nodded at him and watched him walk away. Hopefully he would get some sleep before anything did happen.

As Tim walked he couldn't resist looking in on Gibbs and Hannah one last time. He knew Gibbs would keep an eye on her but old habits die hard. He pushed the door and saw Gibbs watching Hannah. He took a step inside and noticed she had not moved. He wasn't sure if she was sleeping or was awake. He turned his attention back to Gibbs. In a low voice he spoke. "I'll be in the guest room if…" He didn't even have to finish that sentence before Gibbs nodded while still looking at Hannah. Tim closed the door behind him as he left.


	58. Chapter 58

**My wonderful friend literatefool who tweaks, suggests and critique what I write has been even more helpful in this and the part following this one. She helped write some of it. I hope she knows how much I treasure her.**

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Ziva opened the door quietly and peeked inside. Gibbs was still in the chair. She looked over to the bed and saw that Hannah had moved. She watched and it seemed like the other woman was asleep. She looked back over  
to Gibbs who now had his eyes on her and he gave her a small smile. She quietly walked inside, took a chair that was close by and brought it over to him.

Gibbs faced Ziva as she sat down next to him. "Anything you want?" Gibbs asked in a low voice.

"I promised Tim I'd keep an eye on you." There was no response to that and she couldn't tell by the look on his face how that made him feel.

Gibbs let out a small breath of air. "He doesn't trust me at all does he?"

She couldn't really answer that question. "I wouldn't say he doesn't trust you at all. He did tell you what Hannah is going through."

"Yeah. Because he felt he had to." He looked down at his hands.

"Perhaps he felt it would be better for Hannah. He is just worried that you will make it worse when you try to help." Ziva offered softly.

There was a sound and Ziva's head turned towards the bed. Hannah moved her head and by the look on her face she seemed to be in pain.

Gibbs sat up straight to see if he would be needed. Hannah let out a small noise but then her face relaxed and her body did the same.

Ziva turned back to watch Gibbs who kept his eyes on Hannah. "Has she done that a lot?"

"A few times." He studied Hannah and when he was satisfied with that she seemed to be calm he turned back to Ziva. "You and Tim seem to be doing well."

Ziva gave him a small smile. "Yeah, we are. I'd say we're happy."

Gibbs nodded. "You both deserve it. I hadn't ever thought the two of you would get together though."

"Oh?" Ziva looked at him.

"You two are so different. Or so I thought. And he wouldn't have broken rule 12. But I am glad you've found each other." Gibbs offered another smile.

"Yes. I had a plan though to get him to break rule 12." She gave Gibbs a smirk and he almost rolled his eyes. It was nice that they were talking again. It had been a long time. "Can I get you anything?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No."

She looked past him to the small table beside him. His coffee mug was empty.  
"Not even some coffee?"

"No." He let out a low chuckle. "Go and get some sleep Ziva."

"I told you I promised Tim to keep an eye on you. Both of you."

Gibbs turned to her and was about to say something else when a piercing scream made him almost jump out of the chair.

Ziva stood as she saw Hannah trashing on the bed clearly trapped in a nightmare.

Gibbs quickly hurried over to the bed. "Hannah, Hannah, wake up." He tried to get a hold of her arms but she kept fighting him. "Hannah…"

"NO!"

The door was thrown open as Tim rushed inside. "Gibbs, move."

Gibbs moved away as Tim took his place on the bed. He watched as Tim placed his hands in both sides of Hannah's face and seemed to steady her face from moving. Her arms were still fighting him off and one elbow hit him in his  
stomach. Tim didn't even seem to notice.

"Hannah, Hannah!" Tim said loudly. Her arms stopped moving but he knew she was still in the nightmare. "It's Tim." He said in a kinder but still loud voice.

Ziva and Gibbs watched as Hannah's arms relaxed but her eyes remained closed.

"Hannah? No one here is going to hurt you." Tim felt one of her hands grab on to his arm.

It felt like an eternity for Gibbs until Hannah slowly opened her eyes. When she did he could see the confusion she seemed to be in.

Tim kept his hands on her face and made sure he had eye contact with her. "You're not in the basement. You are safe. Do you believe me?"

Hannah blinked and breathed heavily. What was he saying?

Tim knew that she was confused. "You are safe. Do you believe me?" He tried once again.

The terror she had felt. The images she had seen. It had all been a nightmare. Again. "Yes." Her response was barely a whisper.

Tim smiled at her and let go of her face. He grabbed her hands with his and brought her up into a sitting position.

She looked at him. "Bad?"

He brushed some hair out of her face. "Not that bad."

Gibbs and Ziva exchanged a look. If that was not a bad dream then what was?

She nodded while trying to clear her head. Suddenly she felt like she was being stared at. She turned and saw the concerned faces of Gibbs and Ziva. "Oh God." She fell back on the bed and brought an arm up to cover her face.

"It's ok. We're all here to help you through this." Tim said as he tried to reassure her.

Hannah didn't know what to say she felt embarrassed enough as it was.

Tim noticed that Gibbs made a move but Tim stood up and shook his head. "Not now."

Gibbs was really getting impatient. "Then when?" He wanted to comfort Hannah. To let her know he was there for her.

Tim grabbed Gibbs' arm and pulled him away from the bed. "You can't be impatient here. You HAVE to be patient. I cannot stress that enough." He waited until Gibbs looked back at him. "If you cannot do that then you need to leave. Right now."

"I'm not going anywhere." Gibbs threw back at the younger man. Immediately he regretted it. "I know you're right."

"Ok." Tim let go of Gibbs' arm. He turned and walked back to the bed to find Ziva coming back from the bathroom with a washcloth.

Ziva gently removed Hannah's arm and began wiping the sweat from Hannah's face, humming softly. "Hannah, do you need anything?"

She shook her head. No, she didn't want anything. The only things she really wanted right now were for the nightmares to be over.

"Tim, go and have some coffee. Hannah and I will be fine." Ziva gave him a small smile as she continued to wipe the sweat from Hannah's face and neck.

He hesitated for a moment and then turned to Gibbs. "Ok, want some coffee Gibbs?"

"Yeah, sure." Gibbs walked over to him. "Should we really leave?"

"It's ok. Ziva will be here." Tim answered him, trying to hide his own concern. "We'll be in the kitchen if you need us Hannah." He heard Ziva's humming and murmurs as he walked out.

Hannah opened her eyes and looked up at Ziva. "Ziva ,please…"

Hearing the soft plea she removed the washcloth from Hannah's face. "How are you feeling?"

Hannah slowly sat up and gave her a small smile. "I'll be fine."

She moved to give Hannah room. "I know you'll be fine. That's not what I asked."

Hannah sighed and leaned back. "I…feel not so good. I appreciate you being there for Tim."

Ziva could hear the concern Hannah had for her brother. "I'm here for both of you."

It was nice to hear the words. It was also about time someone looked out for Tim too. "Tim has been there for me so much it's about time someone was there for him."

"Well you're both stuck with me." She waited to see if Hannah would respond to what she had said.

Hannah felt bad about having been so mean to them when all they wanted to do was help. Especially to Tim who had always been there for her no matter what. "I.. I know. Tim has always been wonderful to me. I shouldn't push him away."

Ziva said nothing but simply nodded. She waited.

"I shouldn't push you away either. You are here to help us. I'm just not used to having someone else besides Tim to be here when it gets rough." She pushed back her hair from her face. She could use a shower.

"I don't think either McGee is used to being helped during these times." Ziva observed as she smoothed Hannah's hair back. She smiled slightly. "That is ok. I am patient. I will train you both."

Hannah had to laugh a little. "My brother does have his hands full, doesn't he?"

Ziva grinned. "Yep. Gibbs is here too."

"That's complicated." Hannah didn't want to go there. Not right now.

"You mean because you ended things with Gibbs?" Ziva offered gently. "It's been complicated since day one .You knew Gibbs wouldn't just walk away. Don't tell Tim I said this, but they are a lot alike in that way."

"What do you mean?" Hannah blinked at Ziva.

Ziva gave her a small smile. "You push and pull and fight. And Tim just hangs in there if he cares about someone. You've certainly tested it. Gibbs is the same way. When he does care, he won't just give up. He is still here and he isn't leaving so what does that tell you?"

"What else could he do? He feels he has to."

"He could leave." Ziva said softly and put her hand under Hannah's chin to lift her head up. "But he hasn't. He is committed to hang in there with you. Now, why don't you go get a shower? I'll change the sheets."

"Ziva, no you don't need to." Hannah started, turning beet red. She knew she'd made a mess of the bed but….

"Hannah, go. Get a nice hot shower. Not too hot." Ziva admonished with a smile. "And when you come out there will be fresh sheets and something new to sleep in. And we'll talk." 

She started to protest again.

"Hannah, I'm a trained assassin. Do you think it wise to argue?" Ziva gave Hannah her best arched look.

"Good point." Hannah had to smile as she got up and headed towards the bathroom. She called over her shoulder "Think you can score one of my brother's shirts for me to sleep in?"

"Even if I have to remove it from the man myself." Ziva smiled at Hannah's chuckle. She got up and left the bed room. When she walked through the hall she realized how quiet it was. She entered the kitchen to see Gibbs and Tim seated by the table across from each other. Neither was saying a word.

Gibbs saw her as she entered the kitchen. "Ziva, is Hannah ok?"

Tim turned around to face her.

"Yeah, she is getting a shower. Tim, where are the fresh sheets?" She brought out a mug and proceeded to pour some coffee in it.

Tim was grateful for the interruption as he and Gibbs had not said much to each other. "Hall closet last I knew. I'll get them."

"Thanks." She watched him hurry down the hall. She looked at Gibbs. "Are you ok?"

He simply shrugged as Tim returned with the sheets.

"Here you go. I'll make up the bed." Tim started to turn to the bedroom when Ziva stopped him.

"I'll do it. I think perhaps Hannah could use some woman time." She smiled gently towards both men. "I will yell if we need you."

Both men blinked at her. Tim finally started to speak "Um.."

"Trust me. Sit and try to rest. Drink coffee. Maybe even talk to each other." Ziva grinned. "Tim, she asked for your shirt."

"What?" The slightly confused man just looked at her. Hannah had not slept in any of his shirts in a long time.

"Your shirt. I brought your go bag in with us from the car. But she wants to sleep in your shirt, so hand it over. It will be better if it smells like you." She tucked the sheets under her arm, and held out her other hand.

"Ok." Tim shrugged out of his shirt and handed it over, leaving him in his undershirt.

"I'll take that one too."

"Wha-?" Tim started, sighed, and pulled the shirt over his head, handing it to her.

"Thank you." She smiled sweetly, threw the shirts over her shoulder, and carried everything, including her coffee, away to the bedroom.

Tim turned to find Gibbs staring at him. "They both like to sleep in my shirt. Preferably pre-warmed."

Gibbs almost laughed at that.

"I don't want to hear it." Tim huffed and walked off to get a t shirt from his bag. He returned again in moments, fully covered. Soon they had settled down into silence again.

"I told you before that you were in for a rough road." Tim finally broke the silence.

Gibbs nodded. "I remember."

"Even if, after these days, things are ok between you two again it doesn't mean that things cannot get shaky again. She has a lot of hurt in her."

"I know Tim and I will do whatever it takes. I am not giving up on her. I don't want my relationship with her to end. Not today, tomorrow, next month or…." He trailed off but he knew Tim got the message. He was in this for the  
long run. Hannah may have her tough times but so did he. It was all part of a relationship. He had not been this happy in a long time and he was not going to let that go. "She makes me happy." He offered rather sheepishly as he started to drink his coffee again.

Tim did not know what to say. It wasn't so much the words but the gentle tone behind it. He simply nodded knowing that Gibbs made Hannah happy too. He knew Gibbs was a stubborn man and right now he was thankful for it. "Yeah. I guess you make my sister happy. Well, most of the time." He finally spoke, trying to keep the grudging tone out of his voice. He almost succeeded.

Gibbs blinked not sure if he had heard right.

Tim sighed. He hated admitting this. "There have been times lately, before her nightmares started again, that I saw how happy she was. Truly happy and before you came in to her life I can't remember when I last saw her like that."

Gibbs nodded not sure if his voice would be strong enough to speak. "It means a lot to me to hear you say that." It meant even more to him that Tim knew that he could make Hannah happy.

"Just don't let it go to your head." Tim said as he drank from his coffee." I still don't think you are the right choice for my sister. But sometimes I'm wrong."


	59. Chapter 59

Hannah walked out of the bathroom while wrapped in her old robe. She stopped in surprise as she saw Ziva who patted down the pillows of the freshly made bed. "You didn't have to do that." She said softly into the room.

"Sleeping in sweaty sheets is not comfortable." Ziva grinned at Hannah's expression. "That is unless it is under some particular circumstances."

"Point taken." Hannah walked to the bed and laughed when she saw the two shirts. "You too? I used to steal his MIT shirts."

"Yes, I find a certain comfort in wearing his shirt." Ziva smiled again. "Which one do you want?"

She smiled, feeling at ease with Ziva, and picked up a shirt. She slipped out of her robe, put the shirt on and she sat on the bed as Ziva changed into the other one. "Thank you Ziva. I'm sure this isn't what you and Tim had planned for the start of your weekend."

"No, it isn't. Nor what you had planned either." Ziva sat down on the bed next to Hannah. She gave an impish smile. "Though for a few moments I suspected that you were just trying to get the two men in our lives to talk."

Hannah had to laugh a little. "I'll say that was my plan if it worked."

"Well. When I last saw them they were sitting at the table together. Drinking coffee rather quietly though." Ziva shook her head.

"You know the nightmares will start again. It won't be this comfortable." Hannah started after a small pause.

"I know. It takes a lot to recover from being tortured." Ziva commented casually as she watched Hannah carefully.

"Tortured?" Hannah blinked not sure if she had heard right. "I.. I was raped Ziva."

"Yes, as part of the torture." Ziva continued just as casually. She knew she had to proceed gently.

"Why are you calling it that?" Hannah asked as she started to feel angry.

"From what little Tim has said, your experience reminds me of some of the basic, if crude, interrogation. techniques used by the Mossad and other agencies." Ziva looked her in the eye.

"How so?" Now Hannah listened more closely.

"Two people spotted someone they thought were vulnerable. They tested it by attacking you, teasing you, isolating you. When they knew you were most vulnerable-with your father out of town and your brother away- they physically isolated you. They kept you alone, scared, in a familiar place. Am I far off?" Ziva continued evenly.

"No." Hannah shook head as it all sounded so familiar. "They… they kept teasing me, chasing me, for weeks before they.." She swallowed hard. "…attacked. They kept me in my own basement. Where I would do laundry." Hannah felt the tears burn her eyes.

"They kept you isolated. They didn't feed you more than what they had to. Probably the worse food they could find." Ziva stopped talking and waited for another reaction.

"Yes. They brought my sandwiches on moldy bread."

"They gave you just enough water to survive, but not enough to keep you from being dehydrated. They gave you no privacy for your bathroom activities." Ziva again calmly waited.

"Yes." Now Hannah could barely breathe.

"I suspect when you were afraid enough, they started raping you. Humiliating you. Probably became worse as they tried to outdo each other." Ziva really hated doing this. Hated the look she saw in Hannah's eyes.

"Yes. They would… do things, and the brother who did it would look at the other and say "beat that.'" Hannah could feel the tears that ran down her cheeks.

"And they stopped just before your father came home. So you would have time to clean up before he walked in. They knew he wouldn't do anything, but still." Ziva moved slowly closer to Hannah.

"Yes." Hannah could hear the pounding of her heart in her chest.

"And they promised they would do it again. They felt they could come back with impunity. Your father was too indifferent. You were too scared to tell." Ziva slowly took Hannah's hands in her own.

"Yes."

"But they were wrong on two of those ideas. You were not too scared to tell. You told someone you trusted. Your big brother. You told Tim. It must have been terrifying for you, but you were strong enough." Ziva held Hannah's hands tighter between her own. "You were strong enough to stand up and tell the courts what happened. You were strong enough to survive and to thrive."

"You call this thriving?" Hannah fought the tears but to no avail. She didn't understand how this woman knew so much.

"Yes. You love. You laugh. You help others. You could have curled up in a ball and let the world go by. But you didn't. And thriving doesn't mean there aren't rough spots." Ziva slid a little closer.

Hannah could only cry.

"And thriving isn't trying to hide what happened and do it alone until your head explodes." Ziva gently drew the woman into a hug and let the sobbing woman cling to her. She stroked Hannah's hair as she felt Hannah's tears on her shoulder.

After a moment Hannah made a move away from Ziva and brushed the tears away from her face. She took the tissues that Ziva handed her, blew her nose and wiped away the last of her tears. She then threw the tissues away and lay down on the bed feeling all drained out.

Ziva gently tucked Hannah into the bed, and climbed into it beside her.

"Now, rest. I will be right here." Ziva snuggled into Hannah, her arms wrapped around her. She glanced at the door, where two men watched them. She nodded at them and turned off the light.

Tim closed the door, both grateful for Ziva's presence and unused to be on this side of the door. He looked over at Gibbs who seemed awfully pale. "Gibbs?"

Gibbs said nothing. He felt sick. He felt like going on rampage, finding those two men and killing them with his bare hands. "I.. I had no idea." He managed to get out.

Tim nodded sadly. "Yeah, I know."

Gibbs started to walk away but it wasn't as if he was aware of what he was doing. His leg's moved but his mind wasn't really there. He started to feel sick again and as he swayed on his feet he barely managed to get to the bath room in time.


	60. Chapter 60

_They didn't feed you more than what they had to._

_When you were afraid enough, they started raping you. Humiliating you_. _Probably became worse as they tried to outdo each other._

_And they promised they would do it again. _

_"Yes."_

_"Yes."_

_"Yes."_

Gibbs woke with a start as Hannah's voice echoed in his head. He stared at the ceiling as he tried to get a grip of everything that he had overheard. No matter how hard he tried he could not get it out of his head. The conversation between Ziva and Hannah was etched in his mind. The terror in Hannah's voice especially. He had not meant to eaves drop but once he had heard the first words being uttered he had found that he couldn't walk away. No wonder Hannah had nightmares. He ran a hand through his hair as he slowly sat up on the couch.

"Feeling any better?"

He looked up to see Tim walking up to him to hand him a cup of coffee. He took it and simply let it stay in his hands. "Not much." He watched Tim who was now seated in a chair with his own cup. Tim did not seem so affected by what had transpired through the night. "This doesn't affect you?"

Gibbs was given a look that told him how wrong he was. "I didn't mean that you don't care I know you do…" He trailed off not knowing what to say.

"I heard every sickening detail from Hannah herself. I was at the trial every day. Not only did I sit there, heard it all but I also had to watch her talk about it and go through it all over again. In front on the boys that had done it, their parents and everyone else who wanted to know." Tim said, his voice slightly shaking with anger.

Gibbs felt foolish. What had he been thinking?

"You know how many times I've thrown up thinking about what was done to my baby sister?" He turned his head away from the other man as fought to control himself.

Gibbs had not missed the quivering of Tim's voice when he had spoken. "You're just better at controlling your emotions." He finished for the younger man. A strange noise came from Tim and Gibbs wasn't sure of what it was.

"It still gets to me." He looked back at Gibbs. "Sometimes I want nothing more than to do things to them they would never forget."

The hatred in Tim's voice was not hard to miss. "Me too." Gibbs watched as Tim's eyes seemed to darken in color.

"Can't. They're both dead." Tim shook his head as he realized who he was talking with. He quickly added. "I thought about it but knew it would only make things more difficult for Hannah."

"She wouldn't have her big brother looking out for her anymore if you had gotten caught." He finally remembered he had coffee in his hands. "The man who killed Shannon and Kelly was killed in Mexico. Sniper round to the head."

Both men looked at each other in understanding for a moment before returning to their coffee.

"Did you get any sleep?" Gibbs asked as he put the cup down on the table.

Tim shrugged his shoulders. He heard footsteps and turned to see Ziva walking up to them. She smiled at them as she sat down. "Hannah is getting ready for work."

"Should she really work today?" Gibbs wondered out loud.

"Yeah, it takes her mind of things for a bit. We could all try and get some sleep in the meantime." He thought back to the previous evening. "Good thing she didn't drink that much or we would have had to come up with some excuse for her." He reached over and placed a hand on Ziva's knee. "What you did last night, thank you."

Ziva placed her hand over Tim's. "No need to thank me. It's what you do for people you care about."

"How was she when she woke up?" Gibbs asked as he looked at Ziva.

Ziva thought about it for a moment. "I think it caught her off guard that I was in the bed with her. We haven't really said much to each other. She seemed a bit embarrassed."

Tim had to chuckle a little. "She not used to others helping her."

Ziva nodded. "I think sleeping in your shirt helped."

"Maybe." He thought back to when the thing with the shirts had started. "It began when I had to go away some nights and I wasn't there to help her. One night, she grabbed one of my shirts and it seemed to help." He looked back at Ziva. "I suspect this time you helped more than the shirt."

"I hope I was of help." Ziva said right before she heard movement.

They all turned to see Hannah appearing. Hair in a ponytail, sweater and a pair of jeans was on her. The only thing that seemed amiss was the dark circles under her eyes.

Hannah stopped when she saw them. Why did they have to look at her like that? She bowed her head quickly and continued to the kitchen.

Tim got up and followed her.

Ziva stood up as well. "I'm going to take a shower." With that she left the living room.

Gibbs was left and sat holding the cup in his hands. He wasn't sure what to do.

"How are you feeling?" Tim asked as he joined his sister in the kitchen.

She brought down a cup from the cupboard. "I'm… I'm ok." She turned and gave him a small smile.

"That's good." He walked up to her and gave her a hug. "I hear Ziva helped last night."

She enjoyed the hug as it made her feel safe, as always. She withdrew and nodded at him. "Yeah, she did. She's a remarkable woman Tim. But you knew that." She tried to ease the tension she felt.

"I did." He smiled back at her. "So tonight when you shift ends we'll meet you back here for another sleepover."

She sighed heavily as she poured some coffee. "I feel like a baby."

"Yes well, you'll always be my bratty baby sister. Feel any way you like but we are still going to be here to eat, mess up your apartment, and sleep. And if necessary, battle the boogeyman." He put his cup in the sink.

She knew that and it warmed her. Both warmed and embarrassed her. "I know." She drank of her coffee as she turned back to him. It was then she saw Gibbs standing in the door way. She didn't know what to say as he just seemed to look at her. She looked away from him. "I should go."

She drank some more rather quickly and then put the cup down. She passed Tim and came to a halt right in front of Gibbs. She wanted to say something to him but she wasn't sure what.

Gibbs wanted to take her in his arms and just hold her but he knew now was not a good time. He gave her a small smile.

She lowered her eyes a little before she looked back up at him. Why couldn't she say something?

"So, Tim, what can I bring tonight for supper?" Gibbs asked over her head.

Hannah was relieved that he was letting her off the hook. And she did not know how to feel about the fact that he obviously planned to be there again this evening. Or him working with her brother. The world had gone askew. Suddenly there was a horn blasting from outside. "That's my ride." She turned and gave Tim a small wave before she left.

Gibbs sighed while he watched her walk away.

"I'm not sure yet. Usually Ziva and I cook dinner together on Saturday night. I'm not sure if we are going to still do that or get take out." Tim answered and he briefly wondered if Gibbs had even heard him.

Gibbs blinked and turned back to face Tim with a chuckle. "Right. We need to check with the boss."

Tim couldn't remember if he had ever seen Gibbs look so lost. "Hannah will come around and talk with you." He said as he turned back to wash the cups.

Gibbs really hoped that she would. "Yeah." The front door creaked and he knew Hannah was now not in the apartment anymore. "I just don't feel like I'm helping much."

"You will once Hannah lets you. She's in a bad spot, and is used to this being the part where folks cut and run. You just got to remember not to give up." He wasn't sure why he had said that. Gibbs never gave up that easily.

"I have no intention of giving up." He defended himself even tough Tim had not accused him of anything. "I just don't want to make the wrong move and find Hannah backing away from me more because of it."

Tim could understand that. "Yeah, been there myself. You learn as you go." He dried his hands with the towel and turned to face Gibbs. "And if you should do something that isn't right she'll let you know." Tim smiled at him. "Quite often with a few choice words or a right hook."

Gibbs lips formed a little smile as well. "I'm sure she will." There was something else he had wanted to ask. "How did you deal with it in the beginning? You were only what, seventeen or eighteen."

Tim thought for a moment. "She's my sister and we've always been close. When mom got more and more sick we became even closer. So I knew her pretty well." Tim paused. "Don't tell Tony but I did go to counseling myself though. Not just for Hannah's sake but for mine as well. I was so angry and I had no idea how to handle her and what was going on. Then we would go together sometimes. It helped a lot."

That gave Gibbs an idea. Maybe there was another way he could help her too. "What if I went to counseling with her?"

Tim was a little taken aback by that. Did Gibbs just offer to go to counseling? He never thought that was something even remotely on the other man's mind. "Think about it and if you really are serious about it, then bring it up to her later. When she's sleeping a bit, and talking with you again."

"I am serious. It might be good for both of us." Maybe it was something he should have done long ago. "If she agrees then I will do it." He paused not really sure how Tim would take his next words. "Maybe we could all three go? At least once?"

Tim had to be honest that the idea had not occurred to him. He wasn't sure he liked the idea but could admit it may be a good one. "Yeah, maybe. Her therapist, Ellen, is probably already anxious to meet you. And see me. Hell, she probably wants to meet Ziva too knowing her." He ran his hands through his hair. "It's more up to Hannah than me though."

Gibbs nodded. He had honestly thought that Tim would have nixed the idea completely. The fact that Tim had not and might possible even agree to it made Gibbs feel a bit better.


	61. Chapter 61

Hannah opened the door to her apartment a bit slow, tired to the bone. She had had a long day after such a rough night, and just felt raw. Suddenly she stopped, halfway past the thresh hold of her apartment. The smell. The wonderful smell of. . yes... Italian food. There was garlic and cheese in the air and the smells just made her mouth water. Hannah blinked and checked the number on the door to make sure she was in the right apartment. She jumped when her brother popped out of the kitchen and smiled at her. And he was wearing an apron. 

"Hey, I was afraid we were going to have to come after you." He smiled softly. "Ziva says that you should go wash up. We'll be setting the table for supper soon." 

"Uh." Hannah was speechless at the sight in front of her. 

"Don't worry. I didn't cook." Tim winked. "But if we don't get a move on, Gibbs is going to try to sample the dishes again. And Ziva has threatened to remove digits if he tries again." 

"Oookkkkaaaayyy" Hannah drew it out and closed the door behind her. They were all here again. Even Gibbs was here. She knew they had said they would be but still she felt terrified and touched at the same time. She walked passed Tim and the kitchen. 

Gibbs caught her movement. He wanted to talk to her and at the same he time knew he should leave her alone. He was fighting between what to do. 

"You can acknowledge she is here. Go talk to her but take it slow." Tim said after seeing the look on Gibbs' face. "Maybe ask what she wants to drink with the meal." 

Gibbs blinked. He barely gave Tim a nod before he left the kitchen, a little worried that Tim just might change his mind and stop him. 

"You are not going soft on Gibbs are you?" Ziva teased as she stirred the sauce and looked at him. 

Tim simply rolled his eyes at her laughter. When it came to his sister he would never go soft on Gibbs. "No. I'm not. I'm just trying to make things a bit easier for everyone." 

Gibbs halted outside the bed room door and knocked. 

"Come in." 

He pushed the door open but saw no sign of her. Then he heard a cling in the bathroom. He waited. 

It felt good to freshen up. Now she only had to get ready to see Gibbs again. She left the bedroom and halted when she saw him standing there in her bedroom. He looked right back at her. Oh, this she had not been prepared for. 

He gave her a small smile. "Hi." 

"Hi." She didn't know what to say. 

"How was your day?" He was never good with the small talk. 

"Not bad." She had been such a jerk to him and yet she couldn't find the words to talk to him. 

He shouldn't and did not want to feel this awkward with her. "Tim asked what you wanted to drink with dinner." 

"I'll just have some soda". Hannah looked anywhere but at him. "Did you want something else?" 

"The only thing I want is to help you." He tried and hoped she would believe him. 

"I've got Tim and Ziva. I'm not alone." She shouldn't push him away but she wasn't sure she knew how to accept his help. 

He was glad that she at least had accepted part of the help that was being offered. "I know but I'm not going anywhere." He smiled at her again but still no such response from her. 

She shrugged her shoulders. "Fine." She walked over to her bag and stared to unpack some things. 

He wanted to stay and talk to her some more but it was clear that that was not what she wanted right now. He turned and left the bed room feeling a bit rejected. He kept walking until he heard the soft laughter. He entered the kitchen were two faces right away looked at him. 

"She'll come around." Ziva spoke as she brought a pot over to the table. "You know, she comes from a very stubborn family." 

"Yeah." 

"Did she say anything?" Tim asked as he brought the plates over. 

He took a deep breath and blew it out his nose. "That she had you and Ziva. She didn't need my help." 

"Well, that's progress." Tim nodded thoughtfully and then realized that the other two were staring at him. "She has accepted Ziva. She hasn't really accepted anyone before. So, it's a start." 

"Good point I guess." Gibbs started to help set the table. He wasn't feeling any better. "I just feel so helpless." 

Tim nodded. "Yeah. I get that." 

The two looked at each other. 

It was Gibbs who broke the silence. "I hope she can relax tonight. Even for just a little bit." 

"Well, we can always show her the photo of Gibbs in the apron I took on the phone." Ziva said as she re-joined the two men. Tim barely managed not to laugh and even Gibbs looked like he had to fight a smile. "I am going to go get Hannah."

She left the kitchen and headed to Hannah's' bedroom. As she got there she saw that the door was half opened but she knocked anyway.

"Yeah?"

She poked her head inside and saw Hannah sitting on the bed, looking a little lost. "I hope you are hungry because we have plenty of food."

Hannah nodded as she stood and walked over to the other woman. "Ziva before we go. Last night, what you did for me was… What I am saying is thank you."

Ziva shook her head right before she hugged Hannah tightly. "No need to thank me. Just helping someone I care about. Now come on or the men just might eat up all the food." She withdrew and waited for Hannah to go first.

Hannah took a deep breath and passed Ziva. She could do this. Gibbs was here because he wanted to be. No need to feel bad about that. She entered the kitchen and smiled at the men. "It smells good."

"Let's hope it taste as good as it smells." Ziva said as she took a seat next to Tim.

"It always tastes better than it smells." Tim smiled at Ziva. "Come and sit down Hannah." He said as he gestured to the chair next to him.

Hannah noticed that she was seated beside Tim and Ziva was seated across from her, next to Gibbs. Ok, no big deal. She sat down and right away Tim poured her some soda.

It was rather quiet as Ziva and Tim started to place food on the plates.

"So you two do this often?" Hannah finally asked.

"Yes, almost every Saturday night." Ziva answered with a smile. "Sometimes we have Ducky and the gang over, or we go out with them. But we cook together most weekends." 

"Tim cooks?" Hannah blinked with surprise as she took the plate that Tim handed her.

"Tim chops things and cleans up." Tim clarified. "And it's almost ready to move up to stirring the pots."

And Hannah had to join in the laughter. Even Gibbs was chuckling.

"So you mean I might get to do more than wash things someday?" Gibbs teased a little as he took the plate that Ziva gave him. "Thanks."

"Perhaps if you work hard." Ziva returned seriously.

Hannah hadn't felt hungry but now as she started to eat she realized she hadn't eaten all day. "Oh my god, this is delicious."

Ziva beamed at her and there was more silence as all four started to eat and couldn't talk around the food.

"How are things at the hospital?"

Hannah swallowed what she had in her mouth. "It's the same. No changes."

Ziva and Gibbs might not notice it but Tim did. The tone in her voice and the way she had said it. "Did something happen today?"

Gibbs looked up from his plate. He had missed a nuance somewhere but Tim was good. Very good.

"No, nothing happened." Hannah answered and hoped he would drop it as she concentrated on her plate.

"Good try Hannah…." Tim tried again.

Ziva watched the interaction curiously.

Hannah put down the fork and looked at her brother. "Look it's… The timing just sucks and it seems everything happens at once." She took another deep breath. "I saw this guy in the hospital today and he looked like dad."

Gibbs didn't know what to say. But he caught Tim's sudden alertness and realized that this was serious.

Ziva reached across the table to touch Tim's hand.

Tim sat back in his chair. He hadn't expected that. "Do you think it was him?"

Hannah shrugged. "Who knows? We haven't seen him in how long? He's probably changed a lot." She bit her lower lip. "Does it make me a terrible person that I don't care? That I don't want to see him."

Tim shook his head. "No, not after what he did." He laid down his fork and wondered how he would have felt if it had been him seeing that guy. Actually, he knew how he would have felt and how he would have reacted. And it would have involved a needed trip to the hospital. He looked at Gibbs and gave a slight incline of his head. Gibbs gave a small nod in return. They'd talk later.

"Anyway, let's not let this yummy food get cold." Hannah started to eat again.

"Leave room for dessert." Ziva decided to play along. Hannah needed to eat.

"Dessert?" Hannah blinked. "Ok you two do this most Saturdays?"

Tim smiled. "Yep."

"I think I may need to start dropping by." Hannah winked at Ziva.

"Ok, but you can't join us in the late night bath." Tim replied deadpan.

Hannah and Gibbs both spit out their drinks as Ziva laughed.


	62. Chapter 62

Tim looked at his watch. Hannah had been asleep for three hours. Not bad. He walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Gibbs appear. "I thought you'd still be with Hannah."

"I saw you leave the guestroom and wanted to talk to you. About your dad. "Gibbs said as he placed his cup on the table. He clarified even though he was sure Tim already knew. "Ziva is in with her."

"I figured." Tim didn't know where to start so he leaned back and closed his eyes. He heard Gibbs sitting down in the chair across from him.

When Tim said nothing else Gibbs spoke. "Tell me about him."

He took a deep breath. He never liked to talk or think about his dad. "He was a pretty good dad. He was gone a lot, deployed. We understood but mom was a rock. And then she got sick. It was a long and hard fight. Then when she died it was like his whole personality changed. I don't know if he had always been like that and Mom protected us when he was home or if it started then. He just stopped caring about anything, everything and everyone. Especially he stopped caring about me and Hannah. And he was angry- that she died and angry that his career was going to stall out because he couldn't deploy."

Gibbs didn't say anything but simply waited for Tim to continue.

"I was hesitant to move away from home when I got the scholarship to MIT. I worried about Hannah being home alone with him and who would take care of her. She was only fifteen. But she swore she'd be fine. I wanted to believe her. I wanted to believe that my moving to Boston was a good thing. But I was being selfish. She really could hold her own with him but it just made him angrier. Then the rape just took so much out of her. She wasn't the same for a very long time." He tried to push the memories out of his head but he knew it was to no avail.

Gibbs noticed the change in Tim's face. "And your dad didn't help that."

Tim shook his head. "If he had been a real father…." He noticed that his voice was getting rather loud so he stopped and took another deep breath before he spoke again "…if he had been a real father to her and a real man  
instead of blaming her for it then I really believe she would have started to heal faster."

Gibbs nodded. The picture being painted was a far cry from the Norma Rockwell life he'd assumed Tim had had. "I think you are right but instead he just made it worse."

"Yeah." He really hated his dad. "What kind of man blames his own daughter for getting raped?"

"I don't know." Gibbs shook his head sadly. He had no answer for that. No matter how many times he came across a parent abusing their child in some way he would never understand it. He wasn't sure if he should ask his next  
question so it was with a rather uncertain voice he spoke. "What happened? Hannah didn't stay with him." 

"No. When I got home and started helping Hannah deal with this, the Navy took a look at things. He had left his 15 year old daughter to fend for herself for days and sometimes weeks. During that time she was raped, and he was now verbally and emotionally attacking her. He would tell anyone who would listen that she was worthless, she corrupted them in to doing it, that it was her fault she was raped and her fault his career was suffering." He sighed as he went on. "I don't even think she told me everything."

That surprised Gibbs a bit. "You don't?"

"No, I always had the feeling she was keeping something from me. First I thought she didn't tell me because I already hated him enough and if she told me more, God knows what I might have done." He ran a hand through his hair. "Then I figured she'd tell me when she was ready. Now, I don't know. It couldn't possibly be worse then what I already know."

Gibbs didn't know what to say to that. He just hoped Tim was right. "What about you? He must have been upset that you took Hannah's side so to speak?" It wasn't the best way to phrase it but then again what was the right say it?

"No he was enraged. Wondered why I couldn't see through her fake charade. And then, when the court decided that me at eighteen would be a better guardian then him. Then he really lost it." Tim snorted as he said it. "Then his spiel was that I was just as weak as she was. Bottom line was that he was disgusted with us both. We would never amount to anything and just be worthless to everyone." He mentally charged himself as he sat up straight. 

"You know that's not true right?" Gibbs said before Tim could continue.

He blinked and turned to look at Gibbs. "At first I think we both believed him, at least a little. I knew he had always been disappointed that I wouldn't be following him into the Navy. Hannah still has some issues. I may hate  
him, and really wish to do him harm. But no, I don't believe him anymore."

"Good because I got to tell you the more I learn about what you and Hannah have gone through, the more I admire your strength." He meant it and looked directly into Tim's eyes as he spoke. "I always knew you had more in you then what one saw in a first glance but you've been a constant surprise to me. You are a remarkable man Tim McGee and I hope you believe that."

He still was not used to hear Gibbs say something like that. He wasn't quite sure how to respond. "Yeah, well Hannah has told me that quite many times."

"You should listen to your sister." He tried to lighten the mood and was pleased when Tim showed a small smile.

Suddenly there was a loud crash.

Tim didn't hesitate as he got up and ran towards Hannah's room with Gibbs' right behind him. As he pushed the door open Tim immediately saw Hannah on the floor, face down with Ziva next to her. In an instant he was beside her.

The moment she saw the blood that poured down the side of Hannah's face Ziva hurried in to the bathroom.

Gibbs took a step closer and got a good look at the side of Hannah's face. He didn't like the cut he saw on her forehead. There was too much blood on her face.

"Gibbs, help me get her up."

Gibbs took a gentle hold of Hannah's arm and with Tim got Hannah in a sitting position on the floor.

Tim tried to steady her face while tapping lightly on her cheek again. "Hannah?" A towel appeared and he took it. He gently started to clean the blood away. "Hannah?"

Someone was calling her name. She blinked, tried to ignore the pain in her head and opened her eyes. "Tim?"

"Yep that's me." Tim sighed with a bit of relief.

She reached up a hand to feel the side of her head. Something was wrong. Then she looked at her hand and saw the blood. "Oh great."

Tim put pressure on the cut as he held her head still. "I should have remembered to move the night table."

"You and me both." Hannah replied. She sighed. "Get the mirror and I'll see if I need stitches."

"Let me see." Ziva instructed and Tim moved the towel. "No stitches. It looks dramatic but it's not that bad."

"And if I did need them you'd be able to put them in too, wouldn't you?" Hannah asked Ziva as the towel was reapplied to her head. 

"Yes. And I do an excellent job." Ziva smiled and smoothed Hannah's hair back.

Gibbs simply waited not sure what to do. Again he wanted to help but what should he do?

Tin glanced over at Gibbs. "Gibbs you know where the Advil are, right? Could you get us some?"

"Sure." It wasn't much but better than doing nothing.

"I can do this." Hannah took the towel away from Tim and kept it on her forehead. Ouch, that hurt.

Tim stood up and with Ziva's help got Hannah back on the bed.

"I'll be ok. Go back to whatever you were doing." She waved with her free hand and hoped they would go.

Tim wasn't so sure but before he could say anything Gibbs came back.

Gibbs walked over to the chair, sat down and handed Hannah two pills. "Here."

She took the pills right away and then accepted the glass of water he handed her. She gulped it down fast and handed the glass back to Gibbs.

"You need anything else?" He waited as her eyes came to rest on him.

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine." She lay back on the bed again while keeping the towel on her face. 

"Why don't you two go back out and finish your talk." Ziva smiled when Hannah opened her eyes. "Yes, they were talking. I heard their voices."

"Wow. Is the sky falling yet?" Hannah murmured dryly and Ziva chuckled.

Tim rolled his eyes as he looked at Gibbs. "Come on, I think they are telling us they want girl time."

Gibbs really wanted to stay a keep an eye on Hannah but it wasn't often that Tim actually wanted to talk to him. Besides he knew she would be in good hands. "Yeah." He stood up and removed the night stand away from her bed. He turned back to Hannah who seemed to have watched him. He had not expected it but when she gave him that small smile he felt some of the tension ease of him. He smiled back at her.

Ziva gave Tim a quick peck on the cheek before she settled down next to Hannah.

He took one last look at both women before he started to close the door behind him but left it open just a little in case something else happened.

Gibbs returned to the living room and waited while Tim washed his hands. That little smile from Hannah made him feel more confident that maybe she was starting to accept his help as well. Time would tell.

Tim entered the living room and took a seat on the sofa again. "It's always something you forget. I should have remembered to have moved the table from her bed."

"You can't think of everything every time." Gibbs tried to get the image of Hannah's bloodied face out of his mind. "Has this happened often?"

"A couple of times." A bitter snarl escaped Tim's lip. "It did happen one time before I came back home. Apparently dad said something how she was even faking her dreams."

Gibbs didn't know what to say to that. The more he heard about this man the more he wanted to kill him. At least injure him badly for all he had done. "Hannah said that you confronted him during the court case."

He remembered those moments very clearly. "Yeah, every chance I got. The only thing he was worried about was how it embarrassed him! He didn't care what I had to say or how Hannah felt. Just that it made HIM look bad. It hurt HIS career."

It made and yet it did not make sense to Gibbs. "But in court, wasn't it brought up how he had treated her after she had told him?"

Tim nodded. "Yeah it was but once it had been it was ignored rather quickly. That wasn't what the case was about anyway the lawyers said. They had a point. I mean the important thing was got get the twins. His behavior did help me keep a restraining order on him for years." 

Tim took out a restraining order against his own father? How much more was there that he needed to know about Tim and Hannah? There was something else that he had wanted to ask though and now Tim had just given him an opening. "How did the twins die? Do you know?"

He did know. "Yeah, I sort of kept track of them just to make sure. You know?"

Oh Gibbs knew alright. He would have done the same thing.

"Apparently Jim died from drug overdose after they were transferred to the adult prison. I guess he wasn't a big fish there and life was rather…difficult. Some speculated that it was suicide. Jake, the younger one, managed to survive prison but he couldn't survive the outside. He was driving home from the bar and wrapped his car around a tree." Tim shrugged his shoulders. "I remember hearing that some thought he had been feeling guilty over what he done to Hannah. I doubt it. I think he was feeling bad about how he felt. He never did understand why folks were so upset. He couldn't join the Navy or get a good job because of his record. Somehow, no matter how hard he tried to hide his past, people would find out."

Tim smiled a little and Gibbs had a fair idea of how that info kept leaking.

"And he had a girlfriend and two kids to feed. I think he just took the easy way out. I don't feel sorry for either of them. I do feel bad for Jake's kids but that's about it. Maybe that makes me a bad person. Or maybe I am just relieved I didn't have to take care of them myself. Either way, I don't care."

"It doesn't make you a bad person. It's understandable that you would feel that way." Gibbs made his point clear. "I would have felt the same way. And helped you take care of that problem." 

Tim looked at Gibbs thoughtfully. "I believe you would. It does save on a completely different conversation we may need to have." 

Gibbs swallowed. The same conversation he would have had with anyone who wanted to be with his daughter. "Yes. I get it." 

Tim nodded. "So, do we need to be worried about what those two are up to now?"


	63. Chapter 63

**Did you miss me? Or rather did you miss the story? Hopefully I made it good enough so you have longed (at least a little bit) for a new part. I never intended to be gone for so long though.**

'''''''''''

Hannah took a deep breath and opened the door as she listened for any sounds. Not much could be heard. She walked a few steps and came to a halt when she spotted Gibbs on the couch. It looked as if he was a sleep. She quietly walked into the kitchen. Coffee was needed. As she prepared it she couldn't help thinking how these days would affect her and Gibbs. Sure, he was here and sure he seemed to care but she'd been there before. Sure he had stayed longer than any other guy but that could change. Even a guy like him could only take so much.

He looked inside the kitchen and saw her there. She looked deep in thought. He didn't know if he should say anything or simply let her notice that he was there. He saw the dried blood on her face and thought back to the previous night. He knew she had had terrible nightmares but not ones so bad that she fell out of the bed. He really wished he could take them away and never let her have another nightmare for as long as she lived. He watched as she turned and almost jumped when she saw him.

"Damn it Gibbs! I am going to put a bell on you." She tried to get her breathing under control.

He should have said something. "Sorry."

Hannah patted her chest. "You scared me. I thought you were sleeping."

At least she was talking and looking at him at the same time now. "I heard you so I thought I'd go up and see how you were doing. It was time to get up anyway."

"I'm fine. A little head ache still but that's about it." She wasn't sure what he was up to when he took a few steps closer to her or why a part of her felt like running away.

The fact that she had not moved encouraged him. He brought a hand up and touched the cut along with the bruise and bump that was on her forehead. "It looks a lot better. Got a little worried when I saw the all the blood last night."

She didn't say anything but continued to look at him.

He smiled as he brought his hand down pleased that she didn't turn away from him or push him away.

Their moment was interrupted when Ziva and Tim walked inside. They both sensed something was going on.

"Did we interrupt something?" Ziva couldn't help but to ask.

Hannah turned away from Gibbs. "No, you didn't."

Neither Ziva nor Tim believed her.

Gibbs knew the moment was lost as he turned and faced the couple. "Looks like we all slept in a bit this morning."

"I think we all needed it." Tim answered as he passed Gibbs and walked over to wrap his arms around Hannah. "How's your head sis?"

"Fine. Just have a small head ache." She answered as she leaned into his hug. She smiled briefly before she brought some cups out from the cupboard.

Tim took a cup and handed it to Gibbs. As Ziva came in behind him he gave her one as well. "Yeah well, with that hard head its wonder you didn't break the nightstand." 

Hannah shook her head softly and smiled again. "Yeah well that hard headed trait does seem to be a McGee thing."

"Yep". Gibbs and Ziva responded at the same time. Everyone had a chuckle.

Hannah poured some coffee in her mug as she felt her phone start to vibrate in her pocket. She retrieved it and looked at the number.

Seeing the somewhat confused look on her face Tim asked. "Who is it?"

"It's a number from the hospital but none of the regular ones." She shrugged as she put down her cup and opened the phone. "Hello."

_"Hannah."_

She couldn't breathe. She really couldn't breathe.

Tim could literally see the color being drained from Hannah's face.

Breathe. She needed to breathe.

Ziva observed as Hannah seemed to grip the phone rather tight.

She took one long breath and tried to concentrate.

Gibbs watched as Hannah seemed to struggle to say something.

_"Hannah?"_

She could do this. She could. "Yes, I'm here."

Three looks were changed at that bitter tone in her voice.

_"I saw you at the hospital. You could have come on in and said hi."_

"No, no. That would have been…." She wanted this to be over quickly but she couldn't find the words.

_"What? I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised. You are still the selfish person you were as a teenager."_

It didn't surprise or shock her to hear him say that. Still it didn't trigger any reaction from her. Not vocally.

_"Got nothing to say? Must mean I'm right, again. So how is your brother? Still being a stuttering idiot?"_

Now she did know what to say. "You son of a bitch."

Tim suddenly had a nagging feeling he knew who was on the phone now but he hoped he was wrong.

She couldn't keep the anger out of her voice. "DO.. NOT.. TALK.. ABOUT.. TIM.. THAT.. WAY! EVER!"

That was it. Tim snatched the phone from her. He waited and listened as Hannah quickly left the kitchen.

_"Why not? It's the truth."_

Gibbs took a few steps after her and saw her getting seated on the couch. He looked back over at Tim who by now seemed to be on the verge of becoming upset himself.

He had been right. It was him. "Dad. How did you get this number?"

Ziva walked up to Tim and put a hand on his back in support.

That answered everything. Gibbs looked back out in to the living room to see Hannah staring out at nothing. He kept an eye on her as he listened to what Tim would say.

_"Tim, now why am I not surprised that you are there. Maybe you could tell me why my children have not bothered to visit or even call me? It's been years since…"_

Tim didn't give him a chance to finish and cut in with a low, deadly calm voice. "Cut the crap. Your children haven't visited you because your children despise you. You're a poor excuse of a father."

Gibbs saw Hannah slightly move at Tim's voice.

Tim took a deep breath he felt Ziva doing smoothing circles on his back. "Now I am really hoping that you don't make me put a restraining order on you again. That didn't really help your career much before. I'm in law enforcement now, and I have kept an eye on you. I bet your new employer would be really interested in your past. So let me make this clear: Don't ever call Hannah again!" He shut the phone before his father got a chance to answer.

"Tim?" Ziva asked gently.

Gibbs could see the anger in the younger man's face and how hard he was trying to control it.

"I'm fine." He threw out a little too harshly. He knew he had to find Hannah. He only had to take a few steps before he saw her on the couch. He sighed as he walked over and sat down next to her.

Ziva joined Gibbs by the door. She knew to stay back when it was needed.

Tim put an arm around Hannah's shoulders. "Well. It has been an unusual couple of days." 

Hannah nodded and sighed. "Yeah. Unusual to say the least." 

Tim looked at her. "And?" 

"I wonder why he is in the hospital." 

"We can only hope he is dying a slow painful death. And that after he gets transferred -and he will- the last we will see of him is his headstone as we dance on his grave."

She looked up at her brother. "He's our dad. We may not like it but that's the way it is. " 

Tim shrugged. "I think we should just let it go." 

Hannah sat for a while. "Thanks for sticking up for me, again."

He looked at her and smiled. "Thanks for sticking up for me, again." He brought her in for a hug and was pleased that this hadn't seemed to affect her too much.

"I wish I could do something for them." Gibbs whispered to Ziva.

Ziva nodded while she looked at the siblings on the couch. "Yes, I know how you feel. I would like to break some bones but…."

Gibbs knew where she was going. "..but it would only make things worse."

Suddenly everyone was startled by the fact that Hannah's phone started to vibrate again.

Tim cursed as he opened his hand to look at it. Then he smiled slightly before giving it to Hannah. "Tony."

Gibbs was both pleased and uncomfortable how at the mention of Tony Hannah's face changed completely.

She opened the phone and answered. "Hi Tony."

_"Hi, how are things?"_

"They are not bad." She lied to him. "What can I do for you my friend?"

_"Was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me tonight? We haven't really spent any time together lately."_

"Dinner tonight?" She looked over at Tim. She felt a bad at leaving them all here since they had done so much for her.

Tim shrugged at her. He didn't think it was the best plan, but then again maybe she needed to get away from the intense family time.

She gave her brother a smile before she answered in to the phone. "Sounds like a plan." She got up and passed Gibbs and Ziva but did not look at either of them.

Gibbs watched as she headed to her bedroom. He wasn't too happy with the fact that she was going to dinner with Tony. He had to admit it bothered him a bit that she would spend time with Tony but not talk with him.

Tim knew that look on Gibbs very well. "It will do her good. Tony always had a way of making Hannah feel better."

Gibbs couldn't help thinking of a certain lunch when he actually had thought Tony had made Hannah feel bad. Tony didn't manage to make her feel better then. Still he couldn't deny the smile that she had had on her lips just now. He didn't say anything as he walked back in to the kitchen.

Ziva gave Tim a look before she followed Gibbs. She walked up to him as he poured some coffee. "You have to remember Gibbs that Tony does not know what happened to her. It's easier for her to be around him without worrying how that tragedy might affect their relationship."

He turned to face her and saw Tim who was now standing in the door way. "Yeah." He knew she was right but still felt a bit uneasy about the whole thing. He drank much of the coffee in one go. "I think I'll go home and work on my boat."

Tim was about to say something but quickly realized this might be for the best. Gibbs needed to let out some steam.

"Ok, how about we call you before we expect Hanna back from her date with Tony." She immediately realized her mistake but it was a bit too late as she earned a hard stare from Gibbs. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, call me."

Nothing was said as Gibbs left the kitchen.

Ziva noticed Tim's grim face and walked over to him. "Thinking about your dad?"

"Actually, no. Hopefully he won't bother us again." He pulled out a chair and sat down. "I was thinking that maybe Gibbs is reaching his limit." Ziva sat down next to him. "No, I don't believe that. He might be thrown of his game now and then but he is not going to give up. He loves Hannah but it's hard for him when she does not let him help her."

He sighed before he spoke next. "She doesn't know how to."

She put one of her hands over his on the table. "I know that and he does too but it's still difficult for him. So don't be too hard on him when he tries to find his way again. Do you think he knows Tony had feelings for her?"

"It's Gibbs. I'm sure he does. That only makes this whole thing so much more difficult." Tim sighed and leaned back.

"Well. Tony won't cross any lines. He won't do that to Gibbs, or Hannah. Or either of us because he knows he wouldn't live a full day afterwards." Ziva smiles at him.

He had to smile at Ziva then. "You are a very wise woman."

"I know." Ziva leaned in and gave him a small kiss.

She was feeling much better after having talked to Tony. Hannah entered the kitchen only to halt when she saw Tim and Ziva kiss. "Oops."

They broke apart and simply smiled at each other.

Tim turned towards his sister. "So, you and Tony are having dinner. Don't be out too long or we just might come after you."

Hannah simply stuck out a tongue at her brother.

Ziva laughed as Tim playfully poked her on the arm.

Hannah looked around the kitchen and noticed that Gibbs wasn't there. "Did Gibbs leave?"

"He went to do some work on his boat. He probably feels like he's neglecting it now." Ziva winked at her.

Even though he saw Hannah nod Tim knew her better than that. "He'll be back. He hasn't left you."

"I wasn't thinking that." She replied a little too strongly. She hadn't but the idea was creeping in to her brain. That Gibbs was not going to come back. That he had had enough. "He probably needs some time alone. I haven't been too friendly towards him."

The regret in her words was not hard to hear. Ziva got up and walked over to her. "He knows you are not doing it on purpose. That you need some time to get used to him help you."

"Plus, I know you wanted us to spend quality time together, but we may have been taking it to extremes. Poor guy is used to living alone and having one or two folks around." Tim smiled at his sister.

She knew that was true but he had done so much for her already. It was like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Waiting for something that would make him leave, for good. She hated to admit it but she still thought that  
moment would come.

She was thinking too much again. He could tell. "Right, it's time for breakfast. Care to help me Hannah?"

She chuckled a bit. "Sure." For now her thoughts would leave her alone. "Though don't you mean help Ziva?"


	64. Chapter 64

"Are you sure you're ok?" Tony asked as he watched Hannah guzzle another drink.

She shrugged at him. "Yeah. Don't worry about it."

"I do worry. You still haven't told me what happened to your fore head." He tried once again.

She sighed. She knew he wouldn't give up. "Had a nightmare and fell out of the bed. No big deal."

Not the answer he had expected but at least he was starting to get some answers. "What's wrong?"

She sighed as she stared at the empty glass. "Sometimes I just feel my world is crashing down on me."

It was said in such a sad tone it made Tony feel uneasy. He said nothing as he waited for her to go on.

"You know the one constant thing in my entire life has been Tim and sometimes I treat him like crap. I don't mean to do it but I still do it." She blinked and tried to keep the tears away. "He deserves a better sister then me."

Tony didn't know what to say to that. He also didn't react fast enough to stop her from reaching across the table to take his own drink and tasting it. He reached out, took the glass away from her and held her hand in his. "I don't know what is going on but I know Tim loves you and there is no way he would want anyone else to be his sister."

She laughed bitterly. "I think sometimes he does."

"He doesn't. Trust me. You many have your ups and downs but he adores you." He patted her hand and when she smiled at him he smiled back. Their dinner had gone well enough but by the end when she started to drink a bit more he wasn't sure what was going on. He knew she drank once in a while but not like this. He watched her as she wiped a tear away from her cheek.

"So, is there a reason why you brought me to a bar that is not too far from Gibbs' place?" She waited for an opportunity to take his drink from him again.

There actually was. He wasn't sure but for some reason it felt good to know that if he needed help then Gibbs wouldn't be too far away. Sure he had known Hannah longer then Gibbs but he also suspected that whatever was going on with Hannah could be connected to his boss. He shrugged his shoulders. "No, it's just a pretty good bar here."

She didn't believe him but let it slide. She looked around and caught someone looking at her. She looked back at Tony. "That guy over there has been watching me for a while now."

Tony looked to the side to where she was pointing and could see who she was talking about. "Ignore him. Agent Paulson. He works at NCIS. Not the brightest guy around."

She shook her head. "He must be somewhat smart since he works at NCIS."

Tony watched her and noted how sad she looked. He wished he could take that sadness away. "Are you and Gibbs doing ok?" He had asked that question earlier but she had shrugged it off. He did not miss the guilty look that came over her face. "Hannah?"

"It's complicated. Like everything in my life." She moved forward and snatched back his drink.

He leaned forward and removed the glass from her hand once again. "Want to tell me about it?"

"Not really." She took a deep breath. Tony deserved some sort of explanation but she didn't want to get into it with him. "I'm just not…" She really did not know what to say. "I'm a complex person and Gibbs is finding that out."

Tony smiled at her. He couldn't imagine what could be so complicated about her. "If anyone can handle it he can. He isn't exactly a simple person himself."

"True." Gibbs did seem to handle it but she sure wasn't making it easy for him. She quickly reached over and grabbed back the glass again. This time she swirled the content slightly before downing the last of the drink. "Maybe two complicated people don't mix." She even surprised herself when saying that.

Tony looked at her while thinking of something to say. What on earth had happened to make her think that? "Whatever is going on now you will work it out, I know it. I have to say I have never seen Gibbs look at someone the way he looks at you." That earned him a smile that looked genuine.

"You're sweet Tony." She moved and patted his hand. "Excuse me. I got to use the restroom."

She stood up and made sure she wouldn't fall. She felt pretty good as she made her way from the table. She passed the bar and headed towards the restrooms. Soon she opened a door and headed inside.

Tony had watched as she walked away. He so wanted to know what was going on that would cause her to be in such a foul mood. He really didn't like the way she drank and hoped it was only something temporary.

She watched herself in the mirror. At least she looked better then she felt. She turned on the faucet and splashed some water in her face. In reality she just needed a moment away from Tony. She loved the guy but felt bad that she couldn't tell him what was going through her mind. She should head home. It was getting late. She straightened up and headed back out. As soon as she was outside she noticed that someone walked up to her. She recognized him. "Can I help you?" There was an eerie look that came her way.

"Just wanted to say I think it was pretty rotten thing McGee did to you."

Hannah blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"That he had to whore you out to Gibbs. You know, to get on his team."

She stared at the man that Tony had identified as Agent Paulson. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was this guy serious? She took a deep breath before she answered. "I do not know what kind of rumors you have heard but let me tell you THAT is a bunch of bullshit." The man's snickering didn't make her feel any better. She grabbed a hold of his arm rather hard and dragged him away further from the few people that were gathering outside the restrooms. "And I would advise you to not even think about spreading that kind of rumor." He yanked his arm away from her.

"You really defend your brother and Gibbs after what they did to you?"

Hannah tried to stay calm. "They did no such thing to me. Get that through your head!"

"Maybe I shouldn't be surprised. Gibbs has a way of doing things his own way and getting away with it. McGee, I thought he was different but turns out he is just a simple pimp who probably got off on the whole thing too."

That did it. Hannah slapped the man's face hard. He seemed shocked at first but soon she felt a hard sting against her mouth. She was so mad now that in that moment her fist met his nose. She drew back her hand right away in agony as she felt two hands grab her dress and push her up the wall. Her reaction was swift as her knee came up to meet his groin. He let her go and dropped to his knees.

Rounding the corner Tony wasted no time when he saw the scene in front of him. He hurried up next to them and looked at Hannah who just stared with anger at Paulson. He then noticed her split lip.

"I'm fine." She spit out as she walked away. She cradled her hand as she headed away from the scene behind her.

Tony looked down at the figure on the ground that was clutching his private parts and grimacing. Tony had a short smile on his lips as he bent down to the man. He knew enough about this man to know he most likely started it. "Now, just imagine what her big brother is going to do to you when he hears about this. And he will. Even if he leaves you alive, you think Gibbs will let you live after what you just did to his girlfriend?"

Paulson looked at him with wide eyes and Tony grinned wider.

"And then the Director and Ziva will finish off whatever is left. You know Ducky and Abby will dispose of the evidence." Tony patted the man's cheek before he stood up to leave. "Sweet Dreams."

He stood up and headed back in to the bar. He looked around but saw no sign of Hannah. "Damn it!" Even her jacket was now gone from the chair it had been on. He started to walk through the crowd. He took his phone out and soon had dialed Hannah's number. "Come on pick up." Suddenly he saw someone that looked like her. He flipped the phone shut. He hurried over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hannah."

The woman turned and Tony smiled apologetic. "Sorry, thought you were someone else."

"I can be anyone you want me to be sweetie."

The woman's smiles made Tony feel quite uncomfortable. Especially after he saw what he thought was an Adam's apple. Tony smiled again right before he turned around to continue his search.


	65. Chapter 65

Tim checked the door handle and as he had suspected the door was unlocked. He walked inside and closed the door behind him. Tim figured that Gibbs would still be working in the basement, so he headed over to the basement door and looked down. Sure enough, Gibbs was working on his boat. "Gibbs." He said hoping the other man would hear.

He heard his name being called and looked up. "Tim." He watched the younger man in surprise. He couldn't remember the last time Tim had visited his basement that hadn't been case related. "What brings you here?"

Tim didn't get a chance to answer before his phone started to make the all familiar tone. He brought it out as he descended the stairs and answered without checking who it was.

"McGee."

_"Tim, it's me. Something is not right. Hannah is drinking faster than I can stop her."_

Tim briefly closed his eyes as he sat down on the steps. Not good at all. "Where is she now?"

Gibbs stopped and walked over to listen. Clearly the phone call was about Hannah.

_"She is in the rest room."_

"Ok, wait for her to get back and then take her home."

_"What is going on McGee?"_

This was not the time to get into that. "Not now Tony, please."

_"Ok, fine."_

"Thanks Tony." Tim hung up the phone as he caught Gibbs staring at him. "Hannah is trying to self-medicate by drinking too much."

Gibbs sighed as he headed back to the boat. That was not something he wanted to hear. "So you didn't tell me, what brings you here?"

"Believe it or not I wanted to check on you." He toyed with the phone in his hand and hoped that Hannah was ok.

"I'll be fine." Gibbs barely looked up. "You can tell Ziva that too."

Tim got up and took a few steps closer to Gibbs. "She didn't make me come. And this is getting to you."

Gibbs stopped sanding and this time looked at the younger man again. "Tim, I told you I'll be fine."

"I really didn't think that of all things being jealous of Tony would be your breaking point so to speak." He watched as Gibbs seemed to struggle with what to say.

He hated to admit it but Tim was right. "What do you expect me to say? One call from him and her whole face lit up like a god damn Christmas tree."

At least he was not denying it. That was good. "She might have had the same reaction if Abby had been the one that had called." Tim was given a stare that clearly stated that he wasn't believed. "Look, Tony and Hannah have always gotten a long well. They tease and care about each other but that's it."

There was something else that usually didn't bother him but maybe now it should. "Tony did have feelings for her at one point."

"He also had feelings for Ziva.

"You trust Ziva." Gibbs defended himself.

"Are you saying you don't trust Hannah?" Tim threw back at him with some anger in his voice.

He did trust her he just wasn't sure about himself. "I just want to help her! Why…"

Tim interrupted him. "Not what I asked. Do you trust her?"

"Yeah but for the first time in all this I am not sure about myself." He threw the sand block away and wondered what the hell was wrong with him.

Some of the anger in Tim deflated but only a little. He didn't know if he was doing the right thing. A part of him still didn't want them to be together but more importantly, he didn't want her to lose this over her fear. "You want to walk away from this?"

That caused Gibbs to look up at him again in surprise. "What? No!"

Tim sighed. He knew Gibbs would never walk away easily and the man had come further than any other man in Hannah's life had before. Hannah hadn't really made it too easy for him though. Not that she had done it on purpose. But this took a toll on a person. Even Gibbs.

"Maybe you should sit this one out. Regroup." He waited as Gibbs seemed to think it over. "This isn't easy on anyone. It is kind of an endurance test with her sometimes."

"Nope, that's not going to happen." He took a deep breath. "I love her and she isn't getting rid of me."

Tim nodded slowly. "Plus, you don't really have to worry about Tony. There was a reason he didn't make a move on her when they first met." 

Gibbs blinked and chuckled softly.

The sound of Tim's phone ringing caught them both of guard. Tim opened it and looked at the display. "It's Tony." He answered. "Yeah, Tony?"

_"Tim, Hannah is gone. I can't find her anywhere. You know Agent Paulson? He was here. Apparently he and Hannah had some sort of run in and now she is gone. I tried her phone but nothing."_

Gibbs didn't say anything as he watched Tim whose face changed. When Tim looked at him with a worried look Gibbs knew something was wrong.

Tim could hear the desperation in Tony's voice. This was bad. What the hell had happened? Just what kind of run in was that? He knew Paulson alright. How that idiot made it through FLETC he'll never know.

_"She really hasn't been herself all evening. I'm still looking but maybe you should come down here. I'm at McGinty's."_

Gibbs straightened. Something was definitely wrong.

"Keep looking. I'll be right there." Tim shut the phone and gritted his teeth. "Tony can't find her anywhere. Seems she is gone." Tim wasn't sure how much he should say just yet.

That was all Gibbs needed to hear as he followed Tim when the younger man hurried from the basement.

"He tried her phone but got nothing." Was she hurt or had she left on her own? He hurried through Gibbs' living room and dialed Ziva. As soon as she picked up he spoke quickly. "Hannah may be on her way back to the apartment. Can you head over there? I'll explain later." He knew what her response would be so without waiting for a reply he hung up.

Gibbs soon slammed the front door behind him. He quickly grabbed Tim's arm and guided him towards his direction. "Let's take my car."

He didn't argue. With Gibbs driving they would get there faster.

"Where are they?" Gibbs asked as he got in the car.

"McGinty's" Tim answered as he got in and braced himself for the ride.

"A bar?" That wasn't too far. With seatbelt on he started the car and made a U turn. He hoped Hannah was ok.

"Yeah." Tim dialed and waited. No answer. "Come on Hannah, where are you?"

Gibbs glanced over at Tim. "What do you think is going on?"

Tim decided to come clean. "She had a run in with Agent Paulson." He shut the phone only to open it and try again.

"Paulson? Damn it!" Just what had that idiot done now? Gibbs ignored the honk he got as he continued to drive.

Tim shut the phone again and decided to try one last time. "Yeah, Tony didn't get in to details though."

Gibbs turned a corner. "She'll be ok. She is tough." Why he was even saying that to Tim, the man that knew that better than anyone else he had no idea. Gibbs just really hoped she was.

Tim shut the phone and ran a hand over his eyes. Where was she?

"Great, it's a red light." The car came to a stop. He drummed the steering wheel wishing for the light to turn green.

"Tony is looking for her. Hopefully he'll find her." Tim wasn't sure if believed that himself.

The moment the light changed Gibbs floored it.

"Hey, no need to get us both killed." Tim yelled as more honks could be heard.

"I know what I'm doing." Gibbs ignored the honks and did another turn. "We should be there any second now."

Tim looked out and saw the bar come into view. He also saw Tony pacing outside while using his phone.

Gibbs saw the familiar figure outside. The car came to a halt and Gibbs got out. "TONY!"

Tony almost jumped when he heard his name being yelled. "Oh crap." He shut his phone and waited as both Tim and Gibbs jogged towards him. "I can't find her anywhere. I looked but it's like she vanished into thin air." He saw the marks on Gibbs face. What the hell had been going on?

"She has a habit of doing that if she set's her mind to it." Tim said.

Gibbs cut to the chase. "What happened between her and Paulson?"

"I don't know but when I saw them he was on the floor holding on to his privates and.." He took another deep breath. "Hannah had a split lip."

Gibbs clenched his fists in anger. "Is he still in there?"

Tim could understand the anger in Gibbs voice as he felt the very same thing.

"Yeah."

Gibbs didn't need to hear more. He hurried to the front door where the bouncer held up his hand.

"Where are you going grandpa?"

Gibbs quickly brought out his badge. "In there."

The man simply nodded and said nothing more.

Gibbs pushed the door open and walked inside. He took a quick look around.

Tim scanned the place as he got inside. It was rather crowded.

Tony immediately saw him. "There he is."

Gibbs turned to see where Paulson was. He took quick steps towards the man at the bar. "Paulson!" He didn't enjoy the other man's worried look and or that he seemed to shrink in size. "Want to tell me what happened between you and Hannah?" Paulson seemed to be sporting a bright red cheek and his nose was still bleeding. He really hoped that Hannah had broken it.

"What?"

Gibbs leaned in closer. "I heard you had a run in with Hannah. I am giving you a chance to give me your side of it. Now again, what the hell happened?"

"Nothing. Just some words were said and she took it the wrong way."

He could hear the uncertainty in Paulson's voice. Gibbs was doing his best to control his anger. "What about her split lip?"

"Hey, she hit me first."

Tim kept his focus on Paulson. He had never liked that man.

Gibbs spoke in a hard voice. "Just what did you say to her?"

The response from the other man was simply a cold laugh and Tim lost it. He pushed Gibbs out of the way, grabbed Paulson by the collar and dragged him away from the bar. Soon Tim had him against the wall near the bathroom.

"Hey get off me!"

"What did you do to my sister?" He didn't even want to think what might have happened. He held Paulson tightly and high on the wall, so that only his toes touched the floor.

"Nothing, I didn't do anything."

Tim pushed Paulson hard against the wall again-by his neck.

Tony stepped up and tried to get Tim to let the other man have an airway. "Tim! A little help here, Gibbs."

Gibbs was not going to do anything. The guy deserved anything he got and if Tim had not acted he would have. Though he was a bit surprised to see this side of Tim.

Tony knew he wasn't getting any help as he tried to grab Tim's arm and almost shouted. "Hannah wouldn't want you to do this! And she'd never let you live it down if she has to bail you out tonight!"

Tim stopped and turned a little to look at Tony. He was right. There was one last shove against the wall before Tim let the other man go and took a step back to catch his breath. But he made sure Paulson couldn't go anywhere  
while he thought it through.

Gibbs was beyond mad and felt like striking the guy but as Tony had said just then Hannah wouldn't have liked it. Hannah, he needed to find her. He turned to leave. Gibbs knew Tim would deal with Paulson. Right now all he wanted to do was to make sure Hannah was ok. "I'm going after Hannah."

Tim watched as Paulson tried to gather himself before he asked quietly "Want to tell me what really happened with Hannah?"

Tony was torn of what to do. Go after Gibbs or stay to keep Tim from going after the guy again. There was a little brawl at the door that made his mind up. He hurried over and saw that Gibbs was arguing with someone.

"Hey man, why did you push me eh?"

Tony grabbed a hold of Gibbs who seemed ready to strike the innocent man. "Sorry about that. Really, really sorry. Come on Gibbs." It took all of his strength to almost drag Gibbs outside.

"Get off me!"

Tony let go. "Where are you going?" He watched as Gibbs walked away.

"I'm going to find Hannah!" Gibbs yelled back as he continued to his car. 

Tony threw up his hands and ran back into the club, hoping Paulson was still alive and had his limbs. He got there in time to hear the conversation.

"I said want to try that again?" Tim repeated when the man simply stared at him.

"What, you heard me." Paulson tried to act nonchalant as the much taller man towered over him.

Tim snorted in disgust. "The thing is I don't believe you. Hannah isn't into bar fights, so she wouldn't just walk up to you and say things that would start a fight." When the other man simply shrugged his shoulders Tim took a  
step closer to him again. "Plus, a trained law enforcement officer should be able to handle that situation without resorting to violence."

"Fine, I simply mentioned on how you whored her out to get on Gibbs team. No big deal." Paulson tried to laugh but stopped as he saw the look in Tim's eyes.

Tony took a step back. He could swear Tim had murder in his eyes and Tony couldn't really blame him. Suddenly his phone rang.

Tim remained calm but inside he was steaming. "So let me get this right. You called me a pimp and my sister a whore? That I sold her to get my spot on the team."

"So you are not denying it?" Paulson sneered.

Tim sighed right before he slammed the man against the wall again by his throat and picked him up.

Tony decided now was not the time to interfere as he backed away further to answer his phone.

"I got the slot on Gibbs' team because I am damn smart and good at what I do. And he wanted to see that potential used. Now, that you weren't and still aren't smart or good enough to get a slot on a team is not my problem. Though someone should look into how you even passed FLETC." Tim took a deep breath and lowered the man to the floor but didn't release him. "Hannah and Gibbs didn't know each other when I started working on Gibbs team and didn't meet for several years after I joined it."

Paulson was gasping for breath but Tim suddenly released his neck and helped to straighten out his shirt before he continued. "Now, this isn't over. I simply need to be going. However, you will regret the instant you though  
calling my sister a whore was smart. If I hear that you have said it again, or I hear any rumors that you have been saying it, you will unfortunately live to regret it."

Without another word he walked away. What a mess. He zigzagged between people with Tony on his heels.

"You ok?"

"Not particularly." Tim wasn't so sure if he was. Not until he would find Hannah.

Tony was not feeling any calmer even though he has just talked to the missing woman on the phone. "Hannah just called. Apologized, seemed upset and said she was home or heading home. I couldn't quite make that out. Don't think she heard your speech to Paulson though."

Tim breathed out a sigh of relief. "Does Gibbs know?" At least she was safe.

Tony shook his head. "No, he walked straight to the car and honestly, I was bit scared to approach him."

Tim wasn't sure if Tony was joking or not.

"What happened to Gibbs face?" Tony asked as they made their way to Tony's' car.

Tim didn't answer him as he looked for Gibbs. "Give me a lift back to Hannah's apartment?"

"Sure." He decided to try and find something out of this. "Tim, what is going on with Hannah?"

Tim felt for Tony. He knew he deserved some sort of explanation. "She is going through a rough time right now."

Tony nodded as he thought back. "Yeah, she said something about feeling like the world come crashing down on her."

Those words made Tim halt and listen a bit more carefully. "She did?"

Tony turned to Tim. "Something about how she kept treating you like crap. She seemed to feel really bad about that. She was almost crying. She thinks you deserve a better sister then her."

Tim didn't know what to say to that and got into the car.

"I just told her you adored her and that she was wrong." Tony smiled as he hoped he had not over stepped any lines.

Tim gave him a small, tired smile. "Thanks Tony. I appreciate that."

Tony looked at his friend as he started the car and saw how tired he was. Whatever was going on was hard for Tim and Gibbs too. "Hannah is going through some rough times and it isn't easy for any of you, is it?"

"No." It was the simple truth. "Come on. Let's go." 


End file.
